The Rest Will Fall Into Place

Dear Virginia,

            I remember one mid-December day, during the end of 5^th 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