Dear
Virginia,
I remember one mid-December day,
during the end of 5th period, an
announcement came over the intercom reminding the students of a change in the
daily schedule. Some of the students
were upset and began to question why the school would do this so close to the end
of the semester. I listened as their voices were heard. Finally, I said, “Perhaps you should address
this with the administration. After all,
I have always taught you to…” A young
lady cut me off, “…question.” I then
said, “Question how?” The whole class
answered, “Respectfully.” I smiled and
knew that no matter what I did for the rest of the year, the students had
learned what I felt was one of life’s most important lessons.
Since that day, I
promised myself that I would make every effort possible to help my students
find purpose, develop self-esteem and discover a world they did not know was
possible. With a caring environment, genuine concern for the whole student, and
a focus on a connection between the individual and the world as a whole, I
would make it my goal to guide my students in the areas of social conscience
and democratic skills, so that they would be able to make a difference in our
global society. I wanted my students to be intellectually informed, have
abundant self-confidence, be aware of their whole being, be emotionally charged
to take a stance on world issues, and to discover what they could do to make it
a better place.
Teaching in inner city, urban
schools, one has to remember that each student struggles with needs which
sometimes include the most devastating atrocities one could imagine. They are
in survival mode and struggle to find purpose in their daily lives. These
factors filter into the classroom every day. Because of this, it is important
to constantly reflect upon how to approach and differentiate for each
individual student.
When you begin teaching, you will
struggle to understand the needs of your students. You will realize that one
way was not the right way. In fact, many times there is no right way. Each student has needs which vary. You will learn that all students have an IEP. This is an epiphany I had my first year of
teaching. I found myself questioning, “Why
do only certain students have IEP’s? Why
not all?” This led me to begin to learn
about my students individually and to grade and assess them individually, even
if they were not on IEP’s. I would
suggest you do the same.
The most difficult part of designing
coherent instruction for students will be taking into account what is happening
outside of the classroom. Implementing a “personal life” section into your
diagnostic test at the beginning of the year will help you to continue to grow
as an educator and to help design individualized instruction, whether it be an
honors a CWC or a regular education class.
By motivating students
and providing a learning environment with collaboration, democracy, and
experience through authentic and rigorous learning, individual beliefs, and a
relation to society and the individual, you can help them to manage their own
learning. They will begin to show
genuine concern for themselves, others and the world around them. This also guides them to choose their own
educational objectives and social priorities, explore and analyze social
problems, discover new perspectives, and gain firsthand experience by dealing
with real world issues. Through this, they will begin to find a voice in which
they can alleviate many of the social problems of the world.
I strongly believe that the
classroom environment should be one of love, passion and learning. One of your
greatest strengths needs to be classroom management and procedures. Students will tell you that they appreciate
that they are involved in the classroom expectations and contract. This should be implemented at the beginning
of the year and revisited at each nine weeks, or whenever needed. Trust me when I tell you that this is crucial
to their success and yours as a teacher.
Keeping students engaged and on task
is difficult enough. Through meaningful
lessons and classroom management, this can be accomplished. Learn to be a solid
communicator and mentor and strive to teach your students how to advocate for
themselves and to question when they do not understand or they feel that change is
needed in the classroom environment or with the lessons presented to them in
class. Students seem to particularly love group or partner work, slate board
responses and games, Socratic Seminar and, believe it or not, the choral
response in class. Many of them seem to struggle in the areas of writing,
reading and speaking. Trust me when I
tell you they will rise to the occasion if you show genuine interest in them as
an individual and set expectations.
Engaging all students, especially
the ones who are apathetic is particularly difficult. You will want to take this personally. Don’t.
Sadly, the apathy seems to be increasing. Because I teach freshmen, many
have told me that it is very difficult for them to adjust because they have not
had to pass or work hard in the past. This has led me to reflect upon what is
happening in elementary and middle school and social promotion. We as educators
need to open dialog to address this issue. How can we help freshmen adjust to
their surroundings? This is an ongoing
dialog that you will think of often.
Teaching is an art. It is important
to maintain high morals and ethics not just in your classroom but beyond. It is also important to do what is best for
students. You will hold yourself
responsible for each and every one of them, while struggling to find a balance
of how to also be responsible to yourself and your life outside of school. Here
are a few simple lessons I might suggest:
Have respect for your
colleagues. Find the ones you admire and
learn what you want to do. Ask for help
and guidance. As far as the nay-sayers…
well… forget them. Learn what you do not
want to do. Do not spend a lot of time
in the teachers’ lounge, if any. Stay
out of the gossip. Go to your room, shut
the door and teach. Be honest with your students and tell them
when you do not know something or you are wrong. This is worth your weight in gold. Build relationships with them but do not be
their friend. You are not their
friend. Call home for positive behavior
and praise just as much or more than you do for behavior concerns. Choose your battles. Work hard to be a constant learner and hold
yourself to the same high standards as you do your parents, students,
administrators, staff, and other educators.
Continue your education, attend trainings and collaborate with your
colleagues. If PLC’s are dissolved, find a way to work together and continue to
grow. Mold and shape your program. Don’t sit by the wayside. Share your ideas and don’t be afraid because
you are the “new one.” Visit other
classrooms. Learn from other teachers
outside of your area. Join committees,
but do not overload yourself. Do not be
afraid to say no. Do not take on too
much your first year. And whatever you
do, do not forget to eat, take vitamins, take time for yourself and drink
plenty of water.
Remember that students are not
numbers. They not test scores. They are each unique individuals with different
strengths and challenges. They all respond differently, have various ways of
learning, and each have something important to say. They will teach you way more than you can
teach them. Remember to teach with as much love, respect and empathy as your
heart and soul will allow. With a challenging learning environment and
open-mindedness, continue to search for ways to inspire your students. Let them learn to walk in other people’s
shoes, stand up for what they believe in, learn to evaluate and process new
information, and find love in learning.
Relate
lessons and what happens in the classroom environment to the real world and
individual experiences. This will allow
students to feel a connection to what they are learning and open up discussion
for how life can be improved; improvement that will lead to a better tomorrow
for your students and our world. This will also lead to students creating and
producing more meaningful work.
Finally,
remember that silence is golden. Learn
to listen. Find the knowledge in the
silence. Build relationships and do what
is best for kids. The rest will fall
into place.
Go. Be. Do. (Chop, chop.),
Mrs. Quincy
