Please reply to this thread and share a moment, event, interaction in education that was positive for you. Perhaps it enlivened you, motivated you, softened you. This entry does not need to be lengthy or formal. Give us an idea of what happened and why it is a source of positivity for you.
Many of you guys have heard me talk about Adrien (who is also my case study). Adrien dropped out of high school in 10th grade and has challenges retaining information and handling his emotional well being. This is an excerpt from an email he sent me a little bit ago about reading the Hunger Games. The email was titled, "Yo"
ReplyDelete"Now as for the book, I do admit, I didn't start reading the book around late May, I did read a couple of pages somewhere mid May and said to myself "I just can't get myself in to this." at the end of May I remembered i promised you i would read the whole thing, and with that in mind, i started reading the book. And i was shocked at myself because i started REALLY getting in to the book after the first 20 pages. The first day, i read about 3 chapters, the next i started reading about 6 chapters and i started getting hoplessly addicted to the story. Then, on the weekend, all i did through out the entire weekend, i've read it for literally over 13 hours finishing the book. Now, that's suprisingly not the shocking part, well it is but i felt during the whole marathon little over mid way through the book, was a certain part were i literally cried at. Now, i'm not the emotional type. And i can't remember the last time something like that happen. To be honest, as i write this, i'm still a little choked up about the whole situation. Nonetheless, the book was great! Actually it was more then great. It was phenomenal. and might be overly praising this thing, but i don't care, it truly may be one of the greatest things i've read. one regret i had about reading the first one was i read it WAY to fast. So i said to myself i would read the second book slowly. But not on a level i would of liked, much like the first one, it only took me about 3 days to finish the book. And much like the first one, it was just as phenomenal as the first. While this was all happening, i told the school what i was reading and how it moved me so, so they bought me the final book in the series. This time I was sure to slowly read the last in the series, but unfortunatly, the weekend was coming by and i had nothing to do. So what did i do? I nearly read the whole thing. The weekend ended and it's Monday. (Yesterday) I had about 5 chapters left and i read them all last night. And again, something happened. I cried once again."
He had never written anything more than a paragraph to me before this, which was over two pages. To read about his first love with reading is one of the most beautiful things I have ever been privileged to see.
Wondering if 'push out' is more appropriate than 'drop out' here. It often is.
DeleteI agree. I was thinking that when I was writing because he was not provided with the services that addressed his learning or emotional needs.
DeleteOne of my students, Anjahlek, has a very tough home situation and misses a lot of my science classes for therapist sessions, discipline reasons, etc. She is not doing well in science.
ReplyDeleteOn our first science test on cells, one of the short answer questions was: You are inside a cell. Describe one organelle you see and its function.
Anjahlek's response began: "I am not inside a cell." She then went on to answer the question fairly accurately.
Jianan has probably heard me talk about this kid, who I will call M. He is in one of my 10th grade English classes and has some special needs.
ReplyDeleteOur last unit allowed students to write in any genre or about any topic they wished, as long as they followed a "writer's workshop" model. M loved this, and began writing a science-fiction story about a magical notebook that could tell your future. Although he usually does not turn in homework, this unit *completely* engaged him. He did every single draft with multiple revisions and even asked other teachers around the building to revise his essay!
On the day of our publishing party, some of the police officers assigned to our school building came to our room.
"Hey, is M your student?"
"Yes..."
"Did he really write this story?"
"Yeah... how did you read it?"
"Oh, he made copies and gave it to everyone. It's amazing!"
I later found out that the cops actually brought copies of his story to the headmaster because they were so impressed by his creative writing.
Without any assignment or pushing at all, M is now writing the "part 2" of his magnum opus, and often photocopies parts of his work to bring in to lunch for us to edit.
Needless to say, my CT and I are thrilled by his enthusiasm and his derring-do!
Jessica,
DeleteI loved reading about M. It makes me want to read his stories. It would be cool to make a book with all of his stories, good gift. :)
So, I'm in a co-taught 4th and 5th grade classroom. My primary class is 5th grade, but I want more experience in teaching math; so, I follow fourth grade in math as well. From September to October, the fourth grade practiced their multiplication tables. A few of them were really behind. One of those students was Lloydel. Lloydel is a really sweet kid, but he struggles in math. For weeks, he missed lunch with his peers and had to come upstairs for extra support. For a while, he didn't seem to improve. His quiz scores were in the low 40's. However, over a span of three weeks, Lloydel jumped to the 70's and then 80's. Finally, he scored his very first 100! When my CT gave him his quiz, he said, "Nah uh! This can't be mines!" The smile on his face was unforgettable. In the weeks prior, I felt sorry for him because he had sacrificed a lot of free time to improve his grades, and it was nice to see all of his hard work pay off. His quiz still hangs on the wall today. I'm always cautious when I tell my kids, hard work will always pay off in the end. Yet, this was a moment where I saw a child struggle and work extremely hard and meet his end goal. It was great!
ReplyDeleteOne day after one of my lessons on Napoleon Bonaparte's legacy, one of my students who I will refer to as Gloria, told me that she knew I would be a great teacher. I asked her how she knew and she said that she had a strong feeling about it. Her comment has stayed in my mind as I have watched her grades and engagement in class improve tremendously since the beginning of the semester.
ReplyDeleteThis post is not about me, one of my students, or my experiences this semester. When I saw this post, I immediately thought of one of my sisters, whose experiences in school, I believe, speak to the worst and best in K-12 education. I feel free sharing this story because my sister tells it proudly and often.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, my sister was promoted every year to the next grade, even though she shouldn't have been: both her academic and social skills were far below where she should have been, and she suffered mightily for it. She couldn't read anywhere near grade level, she struggled to do the simplest calculations, and she was teased mercilessly by her peers. She was occasionally pulled out for special ed services, but her needs were never addressed adequately (or even close to adequately.) Everyone in her life doubted whether she would make it through high school; college was never even considered an option. Freshman year of high school, her guidance counselor steered the conversation from what courses were necessary to go to college to what kinds of jobs she might be able to hold after high school while still living at home.
And then, sophomore year of high school, my sister switched to an alternative school for kids who struggled in typical public schools, and her life was totally turned around. The school was geared to students who, for a wide variety of reasons (social and behavioral issues, learning disabilities, etc.— and usually a combination of the above), didn't "fit in" elsewhere. My sister was now surrounded by peers who, instead of teasing her, welcomed her as an equal and a friend. Her teachers, instead of being ignorant perpetrators of a cycle that clearly didn't work, were sympathetic and skilled in accessing this population of students. And my sister thrived. Instead of immediately throwing away her homework because she knew she couldn't do it, she talked excitedly at the dinner table about what she was learning in class. She started reading for enjoyment. She began to love school, love learning, and love herself.
And she graduated with a 4.0 and went on to a great liberal arts college, where she majored in early childhood education. She has said that she made this decision because she wanted to be the kind of teacher she never had in elementary school; she wants provide the kind of transformative education to kids who struggled like she did. Her story shows how poisonous—— and how life-changing—— great teachers and great schools can be.
Emily, this post reminds me why we need good teachers and shows how everyone deserves a quality and fair education. Makes me feel good that we are trying to make a difference!
DeleteThis story is amazing, Emily. Thank you for sharing it. I now wonder if there are "takeaways" from the amazing school your sister attended that can help us at educators. I am also inspired by your sister making the decision to give back and "pay it forward".
DeleteI can not remember the exact date, but I know it couldn't have been more then two or three weeks ago. I happened to be sitting in the ERC with Aleshia, Jeannine, and Marina. Marina was the first to tell a story of being our of touch with the slang of her kids. Then we all proceeded to share our stories about the different times our students have caught us off guard with the language they speak. My particular story was about "heat". To my surprise, I was not alone in not knowing what "heat" stood for outside of a firearm and Miami's NBA team but shared the answer my kids gave me. Jokingly it was said Google would know as well, and Google led us to Urban Dictionary which did know. Alongside the outburst of laughter when I read the Urban Dictionary definition was also an overwhelming feeling of love for "our kids". Everyone had something to share about "their kids" and we joked about the slang of our "kids". While we may have to put up with a lot of bullshit it is always within those moments where I hear someone share a story about our kids that makes me laugh I feel rejuvenated. For me the positive I have found with education has been embedded in the positive conversations I have with those around in the world of education or about education.
ReplyDeleteI admit the post may be unclear, and it may be one of those you had to have been there moments, but in the words of Jeannine moments like the aforementioned "give me life!"
My teaching experience so far has been filled with so many wonderful occasions which remind me everyday of why I want to be a teacher. One of the most uplifting times though was when our math class worked on a challenging worksheet. At first the students cried to no end, complaining that they did not know it, and did not want to do it. Then as some students began to figure it out, more became interested. Eventually the whole class began grouping with one another to solve the problems. Students worked together to figure out the problems and were genuinely excited, proud and happy of the work they were doing. What really lifted my spirits was that the students wanted to learn and were helping each other learn.
ReplyDeleteI've been working at Bridge Boston for two years now. I am always touched by the students that I work with. Last year I found out that I was accepted into the Donovan program right after an all school assembly. I was overwhelmed with excitement, but nothing was more rewarding than the hugs I received from my students and them telling me that they were proud of me. Some even expressed that they would like to go to Boston College when they get older. It meant so much to me to hear them say that they would like to go to college someday, a goal that I did not have for myself for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteOn days when this all feels impossible or overwhelming, I think about my students and the reasons why I chose to become I teacher. It all feels worth it afterwards. I love this work!
There have been times this year when I doubted entering the field of education. Tough hours, times when it seems like I am not getting through to my students, and the piles of work made the doubts seep in even deeper. However, all my doubts seem to be wiped away when I am around my students. A simple smile or a good morning Mr. Crupi keeps me fighting through those tough times. Even just today during dinner, one of my students, who I happen to have known before either of us found our way to Epiphany, was eating at my table. We were having spaghetti and meatballs. He had just finished all of his pasta, when he picked up his fork stuck in straight into one of the meatballs that were on his place and stared at it. I turn to look at him and I hear him exciting exclaim, "Ah! Now time for the meatballs!" Just the simple excitement and humor he brought to my day was enough to get me through the class I had to attend until 9pm tonight. Moments like these and times when students are truly learning is what makes teaching clear in my mind that this is what I am called to do. I can truly say I love my students and would be empty with them in my life. Like all of you, I want what is best for my students and I am reminded that each day that I need to put everything I have into assisting them reach greatness that they are all capable of reaching.
ReplyDeleteIt's not positive per se, but this Tumblr is making me laugh/smile/SMH: http://whatshouldwecalleducators.tumblr.com/
ReplyDeleteThe summer after my sophomore year I volunteered for a student-run program, Taller de Paz, that worked with school-aged youth who have been displaced from their communities due to violence in Colombia. I taught art in an effort to give a means for students to engage in self-expression and to explore problems in their community, personal issues, and methods of reconciliation. One 16-year old boy helped me affirm the value of getting to know students on a deeper level and in investigating their interests while constructing curricula. He wrote me a note on my last day, that said this:
ReplyDelete"Esto es Colombia, amor, felicidad y mucho entusiasmo. Porque me enseñaste que soy mas de lo que soy. Porque descubriste en mi un talento. Porque mas que solo una professora eres mi amiga eres una luz que brilla en mi oscuridad siempre seras mi amiga. No importa nada mas. Jamas te olvidare."
My class this year, day in and day out, reaffirms why I have chosen this program and enables me to get through all of its impossible expectations. I could recount any one of the many stories that has made me double over in laughter or moved me to tears, from their remembering and celebrating my birthday to the poignant and outlandish sayings of "NJ", my case study student.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would like to share the moment that made me realize that education was where I needed to be. In between undergrad and BC I spent two years working a number of different jobs. At one point, I held a second job working for a non-profit "professional" tutoring agency contracted with BPS. To say that the program and its practices were horribly ineffective was an understatement. In addition to tutoring students in their homes, I spent afternoons at a very strict charter school. I was charged with the task of picking up students from their after school programs and at the end of an extremely long day of school (two of these students came to school at 7 every day) was supposed to "tutor" them by giving them additional work provided by the agency (i.e. phonics exercises, writing and math worksheets) and assessing them throughout. It was awful, but I decided from the get-go that the best thing I could do was to try to provide a positive learning experience.
One of my students, a 5th grade boy, was extremely intelligent, self aware, and had a reputation for being a behavioral problem. He was in the tutoring program mainly because of his dyslexia and they sent me, someone hired off Craig's list and completely under-qualified to understand and work with his ld. We worked in the library and to coerce him to "learn", school faculty were constantly yelling at him and threatening to call his mother, completely undermining me in the process. I would go home and cry from frustration with my position as a person who took away this student's much needed play and unwind time, the ineffectiveness of the task I was charged with, and the system that was destroying the spirit and delegitimizing the intelligence of this student every day.
I I did the best I could under the circumstances. He made me laugh when I shouldn't have been laughing. I asked him to call me by my first name. I brought him a snacks and pencils and stress balls--all of these things were frowned upon by the agency, who suggested students who did not do the work should receive a phone call home. At our final meeting, when all of the BPS mandated hours had run out, he played it cool....no hugs, no thank you, no "I'll miss you". But when I called his mother to tell her about her sons' (I had his younger brother too) progress and experience following our meetings, she put him on because he wanted to say something. He asked me, "Miss Jessie...are you really never coming back?"
When I first read this prompt, I thought about my formative educational experiences so that's what I'm going to go with. When I was in 9th grade, I spent three months living in a Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. I went down with a group of teachers as part of a transformative literacy seminar. Our goal was to work with the teachers in the village to re-integrate Zapoteco, the solely oral language of the Zapotec people, back into the primary grade classrooms. I ended up returning each summer for four years and living in the home of a family that I really connected with. This was a rug weaving village and I put together a project my senior year to bring weavers from the village to Oakland, CA to put on a show of their rugs and educate people in Oakland about the culture, natural dying processes, etc of Teotitlan del Valle.
ReplyDeleteOk, so that's the backstory. I took a Mexican American literature course in high school and we were able to write a final paper about anything we wanted. Through my experiences working with the villagers in Teotitlan del Valle, I became passionate about bringing the mistreatment of undocumented indigenous mexican immigrants by mexican immigrants in service industries in the Bay Area to light. At the time there was only one real research study that was conducted on this subject. My teacher, Libby Cowles, saw my passion and ordered the 800+ page book for the library. I read every page. She also allowed me to have a significant portion of a class period to present my findings, photos, and testimonials, and lay out an action plan.
There were two significant takeaways in this experience. My teacher got me. She understood why I was so passionate about this topic and she both supported and challenged me. Second, It was an "Aha" moment for me where I learned how to bring together social justice and the academic setting. One could say this was the start of my interest in American Studies and a step in the road that brought me to Donovan. I hope that there will be a student who can say the same thing about me one day, as it is my overarching goal to deepen my students passions, push their fluencies in the subject, and make them feel seen for who they really are and what is unique and special about them.
after college, i had the opportunity to work for a non profit organization that served the growing refugee population in Atlanta. I worked in the afterschool program as a "classroom manager," and took on the role of "teacher" or "manager" for two classes of 3-5th graders, each class with around 13 students. From the five months that I spent with these students I experienced a gamut of emotions, ranging from a deep sense of joy, love and affection for these kids to inconsolable frustration, irritation, helplessness and sadness.
ReplyDeletein the midst of the daily fight to survive the three hours spent with these kids, trying to build relationships with them whose burdens were beyond my reach, i befriended a young somalian boy who was known as "the loud and obnoxious one." he was, indeed, loud, and he never really hid his emotions; he expressed as much as he could with the developing english that he knew, adding pitch, volume and physical actions to make up for what his english could not comprehensively express.
it wasn't that he lacked communication; it was that people were misreading it.
as i began to watch him and get to know him, i started to notice that his reactions, his lack of desire to do his homework, not work with the volunteers, not get along with the other students were not because he had ill intentions. Rather, they were a combination of reactions: a reaction to the frustration of volunteers who misread his own “exaggerated” frustration when he didn’t understand how to do his hw; a reaction to the other students who didn’t want to play with him because he was loud and “in your face;” a reaction to always getting in trouble at school by his teacher because he didn’t do his homework, because he couldn’t, because he didn’t understand.
As any good scientist would, I decided to test this hypothesis by working with him and not taking his reactions at face value. When he didn’t understand how to do a math problem and he was frustrated, I wouldn’t let him give up. I’d bring him back, ask him to try again and again; I’d bring out the blocks, I would model and explain as easily as I could the math concepts he needed to know before he could solve the problem, I would encourage him and be his personal cheerleader. And then I noticed him respond: I started to see him engaged, watching intently as I worked with the blocks. His behavior changed with each passing day; no longer was he kicking and screaming in order to not do his homework: he began to initiate doing his homework on his own.
I cannot remember whether his grades improved; of all the chaos that was happening in that classroom, that’s not something that I can easily recall.
but if anything, it was more the time that I shared with this student that I cherish, being able share in a small albeit significant change in his perception of learning and education. something that could've only happened from a rubbing of shoulders, patience, time spent together...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThese last few days, I've really been thinking about an interaction I had with Isaac, the student I have been meeting with for my case study. He's quiet in class, but a pretty good students. He doesn't participate much, but he hands in his work everyday and pays attention in class. Our interactions have been great, and he's opened up to me without any reservation.
ReplyDeleteThe other day he was talking about this peer counseling class he took his junior year. He said the purpose of the class was to essentially open up to his peers. He told me he didn't do well in the class because he wasn't comfortable opening up to his peers, and that he found our interview ironic because he doesn't like to share who he is with people. He's just not that type of guy, so he says. When I asked him why he doesn't mind opening up to me, he said, "You know, I don't mind talking about certain things with you because I trust you."
I was honored to have gained his trust. It was an awarding feeling, just how I always imagined it being before I started teaching. His response really affirmed a lot of things for me; answers to questions about why I'm in this program, is teaching what I want to do, what do the students think of me?
I felt genuine happiness when he told me that he trusted me.
posting for Luis...
ReplyDeleteSeeing the light
The other day I was speaking to three of my more boisterous male students in Spanish class after one of them snapped and cursed at my cooperating teacher. Our conversation centered on manhood and what it means to take ownership of your own voice in order to attain respect and achieve academically. In the middle of the conversation, one of the students, Mario, said I am like an uncle to him because of the way I treat him like family. This really touched me in a powerful way and it makes it very clear that the hard work speaking to, advising and sometimes holding down the line of respect, pays dividends in the long run.
There is nothing better than having a positive effect on someone else’s life. The best part about it is that I learn to become more human with every single one of these interactions.
-Bro Luis
Just saying... I think themes and/or lines from these stories can be worked into our manifesto :)
ReplyDeleteHey everyone!
ReplyDeleteFor me, the most enduring positive aspect of working at West Roxbury Academy this past semester has been my interactions with students outside of class. In class, unfortunately, while my CT and I have been conscious not to rely too much on overt direct instruction, student voice has not always made it into discussions and activities involving extremely specific skills and tasks. On the other hand, though, I feel like an occasionally top-down (although positively-focused) classroom has really intensified dialogue I have had with kids outside of the classroom. Contrary to stereotypes about teenagers, a lot of my students really want to tell folks about their lives! From students talking about what they want to do after school, and I have gotten declarations ranging from SWAT team officer to Harvard Med. School, to, most poignantly, kids talking about life at home and openly talking about its relationship with school life, I have been amazed at what my freshmen and other students will say if a teacher solidly and seriously offers a listening ear. The resounding positive effect of kids talking about themselves has been its pushing me to realize that intense and open conversations don't just belong in the hallways. An important moment in our classroom was when David, one of our generally loudest, off-task classroom contributors, chastised his friend for having very negatively pretended to be someone with disabilities. It turns out, David's younger brother has autism, explained it to his friend, and my CT and I were able to jump on the conflict as a teachable moment for short while. Now, knowing that pretty strong authenticity can absolutely co-inhabit a classroom with the often voice-suffocating structure mandated in schools, I hope I can facilitate more moments like that with David.
Though I have experienced several humbling moments during the course of this semester and my calling to teach/educate affirmed countless times in my life, I acknowledge my teaching experience in China as one that still stands out the most. It was (and still is) a time I remember feeling the most inadequate, the most fearful, and was so consumed with doubt. I was not sure that I had anything to offer my forty- five students (who were already teachers). I was in a foreign place- seemingly alone with such a great responsibility. My desire to serve had led me to a place where I was not sure I belonged there.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I am grateful for my educational experiences (all of life's ways of teaching) for arming me with various forms of knowledge. I am excited for the journey and I look forward to more!
It was in China that my foundation for teaching was established. Learning to learn from those I taught became the bricks that I am able to stand on today. The teaching process should be a reciprocal one. It was there that I learned I have enough, I do enough and I am enough.
My students affirmed and loved me in so many ways. I had the privilege of seeing some of the fruits of my labor (which teachers often do not) as I saw my students minds and hearts opened. They often discussed and wrote about what they learned and the way their lives were being transformed...and thanked me for it.
I did not realize it then but my heart for teaching my students transcended and exceeded my clouds of doubt, fear and frustration. They could see it even when I could not.
This is a post for Marcus:
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I chose to make my life’s work educating youth is because they consistently restore my faith in humanity. If adults were to embrace the world with the same enthusiasm and curiosity as my students, it would be impossible for us to have the number of social issues that are prevalent today. Their innate connection with injustice is prevalent in the questions they ask, and their empathy to the world around them can be found in their reactions to the answers given. This week I began teaching a unit on the Wampanoag’s story of creation, and the students were able to share their thoughts on how the world was created. I was amazed how deeply we were able to discuss these topics, and I appreciated the amount of respect each student had for one another as they shared their views. These small daily affirmations are true blessing, and something you will not find on the nightly news.