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)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Hot Thoughts

In class we talk a lot about the kinds of ways you can influence the people in your environment.  We also try to instill the idea that while you can't control other's behavior you can control your own behavior and through your choices and behavior change others either for better or worse.

Some of the wordage we use are the terms "whoa thoughts" for when we do things that make people feel or think negatively about us, and "warm thoughts" for the thoughts we can give others to change whoa thoughts into more positive ones via positive action.  

Today in class during calendar time one of my students, who if in a certain mood can be a bit prone to giving others "whoa thoughts," reached out and surprised us all with the kindest of actions.  He gave up his favorite task at calendar to a classmate (with whom he frequently clashes, making it all the more noteworthy) because he knew this particular classmate was really wanting a turn. I was so delighted.  In turn his classmate turns to him and says "Wow Johnny, you are so nice you gave me a Hot Thought about you!"
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