I was tagged with this meme by the Ambulance Driver. I'm supposed to write about the one thing I've tried to teach all my students. One thing...one underlying theme that defines my teaching career...that's hard to identify without some considered and deep thought.
I dreamed about it last night. I wrote this whole post in my dream last night. Too bad the hard copy of that dream post didn't make it into the waking world. It would have made things so much easier, and faster.
I do remember the highlights of the dream and the central premise. One problem though...it's not a singular premise, it is a double one. The two ideas are tied together for me, and that explains why I was having trouble with limiting myself to the one most important thing that I wanted all my students to take away with them after their time with me.
To understand the two and their connection I need to tell you something about myself. I love Horton the Elephant. You know, the guy that hatched an egg, and saved a little planet of people? Long before the movie, Horton was my hero of choice.
While I like, and can even quote from "Green Eggs and Ham", by Dr. Seuss, my favorite character was always Horton. I identified with that elephant, even when I was a young, skinny (fancy that!! skinny!! ME!) little girl, I knew that Horton was the one character I wanted to grow up and be like. Humm...that could explain...nahhh...it's just a coincidence, (isn't it?) that I'm looking more and more LIKE Horton every year...
Then, I got to read "Horton Hears a Who" book. I was enraptured once again, to see Horton enjoying the unlikely friendship of something so small that he had to take the voice he heard on faith. He couldn't see his friend, he couldn't prove the existence of his friend, but again...he was faithful, kind, considerate...in short: he was Horton. "..a person's a person, no matter how small.." Ya gotta love it, ya gotta love him.
What was it that I tried to teach my students? I tried to teach them to enjoy learning about the little things in this world and not to give up just because something gets difficult.
I worked for a small school district on the Texas Gulf coast for 12 years, first as a remedial reading teacher and then as an English as a Second Language/early childhood teacher. How small was the district? Well, I was one third of the staff for the Prekindergarten program and I was THE Prekindergarten ESL teacher for the entire district.
One of the first groups I taught were some fifth graders who had difficulty reading. They were a disparate group, with not much in common with one another, except that they didn't like reading and weren't too fond of one another sometimes. This was especially true of one particular girl. She was...y'all...she was mean. She called the other kids every racial slur I'd ever heard of, and taught me a few new ones.
I had to establish one very firm and unyielding rule with this class. NO ONE was allowed to tease or try to hurt another person. I couldn't control what they did outside of the hour a day I saw them, but for that hour, they were going to behave with some courtesy towards one another. It was an uphill battle, with many many one on one talks with this difficult girl. But my persistence, insistence and stubbornness on this point did make a difference in how the other students in the group treated one another. How much difference, I wasn't to know for eleven years afterwards.
The last year in that district was the 1999 to 2000 school year. I was teaching Prekindergarten and when it was time for the first parent/teacher conferences, I had to share some bad news with a parent. I'd caught her daughter and another girl making fun of another little girl in the class. I told her that, I just would not allow that to continue, and that I would not countenance any teasing.
"I know," said the mom, "You never did. And we always felt safe in your class.
The mother's answer floored me. "I was in your class when I was in fifth grade. You taught us reading and you didn't allow anyone to tease anyone then either."
I was speechless. First, because I'd never had the child of a child I'd taught in my class. I suddenly felt kinda...old. But mostly, I was astounded. And embarrassed. I didn't recognise the woman.
I looked at her blankly. The surprise on my face must have shown, because she went on to explain her answer, and kindly, to tell me who she was. She wasn't the "mean girl", but she had been one of the children who'd had trouble with some of the other students.
Until then, I'd not realized just how consistent I'd been in that rule. Like breathing, it was just something I did.
Kindness and courtesy are important. Safety to try new things and to try again without fear is important. Those two things make it easier to create an environment where the students are open to and able to learn new things. It clears the way for laughter. It's just easier to teach someone who's happy to be there with you. It makes it a lot more fun for the teacher too.
I'm also supposed to tap 5 other educators out there. (4 so far, I'll be posting another later)
- The rules for the meme are:
Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures what YOU are most passionate for students to learn about.
Give your picture a short title.
Title your blog post "Meme: Passion Quilt."
Link back to this blog entry.
Include links to 5 (or more) educators.
Guusjem
Boudicca
Mostly Cajun
Bob
Update: this is late, but the timing for this was not good, as The Round Hirsute One, has had a loss. I'll miss reading about his dad and their Chinese Buffet excursions.
5 comments:
Plant a seed!