So I am so excited to be back teaching again after the break. I always enjoy spending time with my family, and the downtime (which is hardly downtime during the holidays), but look forward to seeing my kids again. Anyways, we have come to the end of the semester, which is bittersweet. My philosophy on teaching centers around many different themes, including: Praise the actions that you want to see repeated, make the classroom a summer camp, create a model of success that is 100% dependent on successful group interaction, don't take any shit, play music, and give students choices whenever you can, and have fun, dammit. I fail at much of this, but when it works out it creates an amazing little summer camplike community in the classes. So, when the class somes to an end, it is difficult for all of us. Pictures are taken, memories are recounted, commemorative t-shirts are printed, hugs are given, and goodbyes are said. It sounds dramatic, especially considering that we will most likely still see each other in the hallways of the school, but the class is over - and the class is what is so great. So it is hard. But, we are also excited about the next semester, new classes, and new opportunities.
At the conclusion of the class, I always call the parents of my better students. It is a short phone call just to tell them how great their kid is, and how I appreciate it. I call it the "happy graham." It is so fun to do, maybe the most enjoyable thing I do all year at school. To hear how happy the parent is to know that their kid is doing well is simply beautiful. When I was completing my student teaching at UNCG, I made a list of things I wanted to always remember to do as a teacher. The list was rooted in aspects of teaching that I experienced with my very best teachers (and included boring, but practical, things like using maps, get to know your students, write your own tests, try to smile a lot, etc). On the top of that list was: praise kids for good things. But still, writing that at 19 years old, I was basically guessing. The thing is, I am now in my 8th year of teaching public high school - and that maxim remains the truest thing I have ever experienced in education.
Comments
I am friends with Jessica from graduate school. In fact, we just met up the other day and had some great Indian food.
As a teacher, I wanted to say that I really enjoyed your comments about teaching. When I was first hired as a new faculty member my department head wrote me a note saying, "We're going to have so much fun."
Well, that has been the philosophy at Capella (my university) and it seems to be similar for you. Anyway, I am rambling but I wanted to say I enjoyed reading your post and I, too, try to have fun and remember my students my name. Ah... the little things.
Thanks,
Kathryn
Thanks for the comment. It is sometimes very difficult to talk/write about teaching without it coming across as just SO cheesy, ya know? It certainly sounds like you have a great situation at Capella though, so I guess we will just keep trying to matter.
- Ben