I never realized how much I could learn about myself going in to William Elementary School. When I am in the classroom i realize that I can adapt to any sort of situation presented to me. I realize the students think of me as more then just a person coming to teach them but some one that will listen and help them. I have two brothers, one who is older and one who is my twin. I learned from my mother the trude definition of patience. So, I am hoping that will have been something that I adapted over the years.
When I was younger I always pretended to be a teacher. I thought I could teach ABC's and 123 and that is what it was all about. These children showed me that they may not get it the first time and that it might take them multiple times to understand something. When I walked into my first grade classroom I did the lesson with them and sort of just tried to fly through it. The teacher must have over heard me and quickly said you need to make sure they understand it. I am not sure if some of them just memorized it but there were two who just could not grasp what i was tellng them. I had a little frustration but took them aside and remembered that they are children so this is all new to them. I know that a lot of the students just want attention or just need help, and I am willing to help. My older cousin inspired me to try and help others because she was always willing and is still willing to help me learn and understand things today.
Jonathan Kozol talked about the NCLB and the standards that are there. He mentioned that we can not treat and teach students the same. They are not the same and I am definitely aware of that walking into this classroom every Monday and Wednesday. I see first hand that children need to be taught in different ways and when i did that with my two students on their math problems the teacher said well they need to do it this way. I did not know why until she told me this is what she is being told by her administration.
An example of the addition problems would be 2+5=7. The teacher wants the students to have the number 2 in their head and then count on 5. Some of the kids get it but some just do not know how to do that without using their fingers or blocks. A trick question for them would be 0+9=9. The students do not realize you do not have to add anything. I was shocked. But I sat down with my students and we slowly tried to accomplish and finish the worksheet together. It was almost time to go and my little girl Sarah said to me I want to finish, so i said go ahead but she was getting so frustrated. I told her we could do it together again but she was determined to get it just like everyone else. I can see the pressure the children feel and I just tried to calm her down and with that we finished.
I realize that I have the patience that a lot of the teacher maybe they do not have or maybe they do but obviously cannot focus on just one student alone because the other students do see that it is not fair. For example, this little girl Alicia even though she did not need the help wanted me to work with her but I had to tell her maybe next time because she understood the math but she wanted the attention. But, I do make time to go to each table just to see how they are all doing and let them tell me something they did over the weekend or how their day was going.
I enjoy going to the school and going to the classroom. The students all welcome me with welcomed arms. They have nothing but nice things to say and I can see in their eyes that they just want someone to be there for them. I will keep going their until I cannot anymore because all of the students are special to me. They definitely have become important people in my life and I they are making my experience here worth more than I could ever imagine. My identity as a teacher has evolved over this experience and I can tell it is for the better of my self and the children.
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Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that you have been able to bond so well with your students. Getting to know them is essential in earning the respect and trust needed between a student and their teachers, as we have learned in class this year. I like the idea of giving the students an opportunity to tell about themselves the first day by drawing you a picture. This is something I did not think to do, however I wish I had because it seems like you got a very positive response.
While I was reading your post, it reminded me of Ira Shor's perspective on how teachers should really be aware of how they are treating the students and what impacts it has on the way they will learn and understand the materials. Shor states in one of the articles presented in class, "Politics reside not only in subject matter but in the discourse of the classroom, in the way the teachers and students speak to each other. The rules for talking are a key mechanism for empowering or disempowering students".
I could also relate to the point you made about other students wanting help, more likely attention from you even though they did not need it. Many of the students in my classroom were similar to that, and although I was assigned to two specific students, the others would ask to be involved every week. It is hard to tell a child “no, I cannot help you”, but it seems that was another situation you handled cleverly, by still making an effort to get to know them but at the same time saving your tutoring time for the children who were legitimately struggling.