Meetings and Data and Students! Oh My!

            This is my 18^th year to be a teacher.  I’ve told many people that I am called to this profession just as ministers are called to their professions.  When I think of other things I could do for a “job,” I can think of things that I can do, but it’s not the same as BEING a teacher for me.  But I’ve struggled as this year started.

            Education in Oklahoma is struggling.  Unfortunately, our Superintendent of Education has made decisions that have negatively affected our system.  I’m definitely not political.  It doesn’t matter what political party she is associated with or which one I am.  I am an educator, though, and I know that changing cut scores after an assessment or dismissing a testing company with no back-up plan in place are not wise decisions.  The lack of a good leader makes it difficult for teachers to do their jobs because we feel like we’re aiming at a constantly moving target.

            I am blessed to work in my school district.  Is it perfect?  No.  Is any district?  No.  I’m hearing more and more about the “best” districts having issues with teachers, parents, and students, and I realize that the grass isn’t always greener.  We seem to be data driven right now, though.  With me being an English teacher, numbers aren’t really my thing.  If I have to analyze one more set of numbers, I may pull my hair out!  I’d rather just teach, please.  J

            The start to this year has been busier than I think it ever has been.  We have more meetings to attend, more responsibilities in the classrooms, and it just seems like there is less time to do the things I love: collaboration with other English teachers and my team and actually developing the lessons I need to teach my students.

            So as the end of week four approached, I was done.  I was tired.  I was discouraged.  I was counting the years until retirement.

            Then Thursday happened.

            My students were learning root words.  The activity was to make flash cards with the root on the front.  The back would have the definition, two or three sample words, and an original sentence.  The students would generally list more than two or three words, so I just added the examples on the board.  I asked for a couple of students to share their sentence, and one student shared a sentence where he had used ALL the sample words we had listed.  It was on!  Many of the other students took that as a challenge.  They started listing more words and then trying to incorporate as many as they could in their sentence.  I admit that some of the sentences didn’t make as much sense as they should have, but the students were taking ownership.  Then I heard the words that changed my day and maybe my year.  One student said, “Wow!  We’re at school, and we’re having fun!  What happened?”  My co-teacher heard another one say, “This is my favorite class!”

            Those are words that will make a teacher’s heart sing!  They are the words we live to hear and often don’t.

            I’m not sharing this for any sort of praise or compliments.  I’m posting this as an encouragement for myself and my fellow educators.  When the meetings start to weigh heavy and the data is staggering, remember why we do what we do. It’s for that one student who gets the concept and challenges the rest of the students to own their learning.

            You know what?  I think I just may make it to retirement after all.

Here We Go Again!

            It is once again the night before school starts.  This will be the eighteenth time I’ve done a first day of school as a teacher, and I have a few thoughts.

            I am blessed to be a teacher.  I truly feel that God has called me to this profession.  Just as God called my husband to be a minister, I feel God called me to work with youth through the public school system.  Because I have followed God’s call in this profession, I feel He continues to bless me.  I do have hard days.  There are even some days I may want to quit.  But when I seriously think about other professions, I know I am where I am supposed to be.

            I am not the only one who thinks summer moved too fast.  I know when students come back tomorrow they will be more interested in what everyone did over the summer than how to read a passage of literature and analyze it.  If I’m ever going to be able to have that conversation, I must make a personal connection.  I need to build quality teacher/student relationships so we can work together to learn for the next 180 school days.

            Behind each student is a family.  Some of those families look a lot like mine: two parents, siblings, pets, middle class, etc.  Some of those families look nothing like I’ve ever experienced.  I must remember that some of these kids are coming from homes where there is no electricity on a regular basis or food every meal or even a stable roof over their head every night.  They may only be at school because it’s a safer place than home.  I must no judge but instead be ready to meet them where they are.

            I also have a family that is heading back to school and routines.  We need to be proactive in spending time together.  I need to remember that they still need me even when I am weary from my day.  I need to remember that they are more important than anything!

            As I look forward to tomorrow, here is my prayer.

            Dear Lord,

            Bless this school year.  Bless the 110 students you have entrusted to my care for this year.  Bless the parents and extended families who are associated with those students.  Bless the administrators who direct the teachers in making good decisions for these students.  And, dear Lord, please bless my own family.  Take care of them while they go to their own classrooms and their own jobs.  Bring us together in the evenings and weekends to continue to grow as a family and to grow in your grace.

            Amen.