Why I Teach

I love to vent as much as the next under-paid, over-worked educator, but I need to savor the good moments too. This blog is for me, to document and remind myself of the moments that make me smile, laugh, and make it all worth it. :)

[whyiteach]

When my student says he likes my hair today

I'm like

[tylertheteacher-blog]

Every students’ reaction when you tell them to freeze

[whyiteach]

When my student comes in from a rough Friday but has a FABULOUS Monday! We were literally jumping for joy by the end of the day ... we talked about “doing a 180″ and had fun practicing our spins together. :)

[teacherthoughtbubble]

Walking into class when I’m feeling fabulous

[writteninthekitchensink]

On Paper

He failed my class. It really wasn’t even a close call. I couldn’t do the 2-point mercy bump. 

It wasn’t for a lack of trying on either of our parts. Yeah, he could have put more effort into homework, but “home” isn’t easy for him in a year of personal transition. He could have studied to improve his quiz and test scores. But in class, he tried his hardest. Always had his hand raised. Not the best reader, but always the first to volunteer. If I needed a favor or an errand, he’d be there before I got the request out of my mouth. 

He had his off days too. He could be a nudge. We’d go out into the hall and have a little chat, and he’d admit he was off. I said, “One step at a time,” mimicking a book we read in class that he loved. And he’d go back in and hold it together.

When we received teacher thank you’s, he wrote to me. “Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.” I sat at my desk, with tears in my eyes because I didn’t think he’d write to me and I certainly didn’t think he’d write that.

So when I sat down to give my “thank you’s” in the form of awards, I had to repay the debt. I couldn’t congratulate him on his grades, so I gave him a well-deserved participation award. His face lit up when I said his name. My teammate said when he returned from the stage, he sat there staring at the paper with a smile. When I returned, he pointed at me and I pointed back. And then I had to turn around and pull it together. It was the only award he received and he carried it like a trophy.

I requested him for summer school. I know it doesn’t look like we made strides, but we did and I want to send him to 8th grade with that momentum.

On paper, this was a failure. On paper, he dropped my passing rate and lost me a point in APPR. On paper, his reading scores dropped. On paper, I didn’t do my best for him. On paper, this whole year was a waste for both of us. 

And this is the problem with education today. You can’t measure fruitless diligence and dedication. You can’t prove someone is doing their best when their best isn’t hitting expectations set for other kids. You cannot give points for pulling it together on a bad day. You cannot assess heart. These are all impossible things to quantify. 

It wasn’t a failure. It was a success in every way but one.

[whyiteach]

Clean Slate

I have a student who has behavioral challenges, but who has come so, so, SO far in the last year. He has good days and bad, but Friday was an especially tough one. Everything we did was a hurdle for this kiddo. It was just one of those days. The sound of the 3:00 bell was a sweet relief...but not as sweet as this kiddo wrapping his arms around my waist and joking, “I’ll never let go!”  In that moment you have to breath out all the frustration and exhaustion from the day and let yourself care about a kid who can drive you up the wall. Monday is a new day. Even when that young boy leaves my class with fists balled up and spitting profanities, Monday is a new day. Even if he throws a chair across the classroom and tells me he hates me, Monday is a new day. We don’t have those moments very often anymore because he knows that he is accountable for his actions, but his actions don’t define him as a person. We set high expectations for him and help him understand how his actions impact himself and others. He knows that we care about him and he will always get another chance. Instead of leaving with a scowl on his face because ‘everybody hates me’, he leaves reflecting on his behavior and he comes back ready to work even harder on Monday. Because, say it with me folks, Monday is a new day!

[whyiteach]

The kiddo that made up this silly sentence found so much humor and joy in it that it was hard not to share his laughter!