The Stories...

Being an elementary teacher is a particularly trying experience. It's also particularly rewarding. Over the relatively short period of time that I've spent as a teacher I've cried, laughed and been speechless on so many occasions by the antics that go on in my little world called a classroom. Days later I'll find myself reflecting on a moment with a tear or a smile and telling myself "I really should write this stuff down." As I launch into another year of teaching, I'm sure to add to the collection of stories I already have to record. This profession is a gift. Not everyone can do it and certainly not everyone can enjoy it. But some of us can and some of us do. I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm not the best teacher in the world, I don't have the best ideas or even the most unique. I don't have the fanciest of credentials and I haven't invented anything groundbreaking. But I do have a philosophy about my job and the role it plays in our society and it's on that philosophy that I build each lesson. It's the philosophy that every child has potential and should be approached as if they hold the keys to the success of future generations. I know that not all of them will succeed and most will probably never go beyond ordinary. But do you think when Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama walked into their first day of grade school that their teacher looked at them and thought, this kid will make history? I doubt they had any idea. But hopefully they looked at them and thought, here is a child, let me strive to empower them to change the world. They did and just maybe it was partly her we can all thank. And so here is my little blog, my ideas, my best and worst moments, my thought process on educating, and how it plays out each day.

Together with my students we have successes and failures. As they say on Law and Order, "These are their stories..."

(all student names have been changed to Jane and Johnny for the privacy and protection of the students and their families)

Monday, August 23, 2010

Teach to change

I believe that children should be exposed to ideas that are, by many, considered "beyond their years," such as the environmental issues of our time, global warming, poverty in a global economy, world hunger and the steps to building peace between individuals and nations.  I am not advocating upsetting them or being inappropriate in the content of discussion. I think we should discuss everything in an age appropriate way, but DISCUSS it.  To say that a child is too young to be taught about poverty or conservation is to say that they are too young to make a difference and that is above all not true.  Responsible citizenship begins at childhood.  Empathy, compassion and the belief in change are strongest in the hearts of children.  Don't wait until they are disenchanted with humanity to try and inspire them to change the world. Teach them that problems exist and teach them that they can have a hand in solving even the biggest of problems.  If we truly believe in the cliche "children are our future" then it's time to start trusting them with it.      
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