Goodbye

       As the school year draws to a close I am left with a sense of emptiness. After the long adventure through student teaching, and everything I have learned, and all the wonderful experiences I have had, it is all going to be gone soon. Every relationship I have built, every friend that I have made, and every student that I have reached in some way, will all be gone. I have one of two options: I could become sad and reminisce on all of the good things that happened over the year in order to hold onto what is about to be leaving me, or I could be happy that what I experienced was just one of many more years to come. I am torn by the fact that I will more than likely start to slowly forget the names and faces of those that have affected my life and those lives I have touched, but also relieved to know that they, too, will slowly start to forget me as well. That makes saying goodbye a little less painful. And then I remember that no matter where life takes me, if I graduate, or if I even last as a teacher, as long as I am happy with the things I have accomplished this year, then that is all that really matters in the end. I know in my heart that I did a great job teaching them and I know for a fact that they will miss me when I am gone, for at least a little while. What I need to do now is be happy that I was able to experience the joys of teaching and the joys of building a community within the classroom, because there isn’t another job on the planet that is quite like this. Sure, I have my shortcomings, as everyone does, because I am a human being just like everyone else. But my strength is in my craft and my actions cannot be summarized by only a few of them. Too often we only focus on the negative aspects of other human beings instead of trying to see the good under the surface. That is one of the most essential skills we can have as future teachers: if we can see the good in every kid, and not what is on the surface that they are putting out for everyone else to see, then we will be able to reach them, and teach them, and learn from them. The world isn’t full of sunshine and rainbows, and that’s okay because without sadness, without the sadness of saying goodbye to this year, this experience, then we wouldn’t know the joy that came from it, that will come from future classrooms, from future students, from future teachers. We are all on this earth together, like it or not, and the classroom is our earth, and we stick together, and eventually part ways with the knowledge left to us from the other. This is why we, as teachers, might just be able to change the world.

Mr. Ames – signing off

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (of discussion)

౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼

       Over the last couple of months I have been progressing further and further into my role as a teacher. At first I was developing at a steady pace, but more recently I have begun to grow at exponential rates. I am starting to find it easier to gain the attention I require from my students without all of the hassle I used to get, and I find that my students have finally bonded with me and see me as someone they can look up to.

౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼

       One of my biggest challenges of the year was getting students to participate in higher level conversations with each other rather than rote response towards the teacher. I tried several different approaches that I have been taught from my mentor teacher, my university supervisor, and Peter Smagorinsky’s Teaching English by Design: How to Create and Carry Out Instructional Units in the hopes that I would find something that worked. I remember reading in the story how awkward the silences were when trying these approaches towards generative conversations and I can speak first hand that they are as awkward as one would think. Imagine a scenario like this: I have just posed the essential question that I would like for them to discuss. I gave them clear expectations of how I want them to participate and what is and is not considered a “good participation” during the conversation. I laid out all of the ground work from my end as their teacher to give them all of the tools necessary to have the entire discussion with each other without relying on the teacher to guide them along. And they just sit there silently. No one says a word. Not even a cough. This is a horrifying spot for me to be in, but eventually, after 2 minutes of awkward unbearable silence, someone says something. Then it sparks a chain reaction into someone else’s idea. And the ball has been dropped down the ramp of creation. This is how the scenario should have played out. What actually happens: students talk to their neighbor about what they saw at recess, the next group over falls asleep, and the students who are participating do not talk to each other, but say things to me to gauge whether or not their answers are correct. Now I am not saying that this type of conversation is bad, or that it wouldn’t work for anyone ever. I am saying that this type of discussion is very difficult to structure properly and it takes a lot of hard work for them to pull this off since most students are not used to this type of classroom activity. I am also to blame for my inexperience at how to properly engage the students with student-lead discussions.

౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼

       On the bright side I found a setup for student-lead discussion that does work for me: FishBowls. These things are absolutely amazing. Paired with my raffle ticket system for amazing contributions and the wacky setup of the classroom equals almost 100% student engagement. I even have those students that never turn in any of their work in any of their classes jumping into the FishBowl to have a conversation with their classmates. Simply amazing. Another thing that both me and the students really enjoy is that I am an equal participant in the discussion. I pick open ended essential questions that are not easy to answer (and sometimes even I don’t fully know the answer) so that I can become organically involved in the conversation in order for them to teach me something.

Another great thing that has blossomed out of the students teaching me things in the classroom is that I get the unique perspective of the student teacher in the classroom and I use that to my advantage. If I can’t figure something out with the students or if I can’t get them to behave the way they need to I will hand out feedback forms for them to fill out for me. I come into the feedback with the attitude that we are both learning together and that if I should be giving them feedback on their work then it is only fair for them to give me feedback on mine.

౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼౼

       Overall I think I have finally found  my voice as a teacher and I know that I can always overcome any difficulties I face because at the end of the day I go home with a smile on my face knowing that tomorrow is going to be an improvement over today.

Say What? (Online Reflection #1 2017)

       I came into reading the article Involving Parents and the Community, by Samway and McKeon, with a couple of presumptions. First and foremost, the information regarding L2 parents and lack of translators being provided for them came as a surprising update to me. I have been placed in schools that have a large population of students with parents or legal guardians that did not speak English as their first language through my college career, and at every social event involving parents there were always translators on site willing to assist in the communication process. Even around the school documents were written, printed, posted, etc. all around in different languages to accommodate for everyone equally, and set a very welcoming tone to everyone. So when I read that these parents “are often marginalized if there is no attention paid to the need for translators and printed information in languages other than English” came as a shock to me because I had never really gotten a chance to experience a school environment that didn't provide these types of things for L2 parents (Samway and McKeon 164).

       My second presumption was that teachers would understand that parents, by their very nature, should and do care about their child's education and even if they do not answer the phone or come to conferences it was probably for a good reason like not being able to get out of work finding a babysitter. And to my surprise the article actually discusses complaints from teachers who come to the conclusion that L2 parents do not care about their child's education from the reasons I previously mentioned. I am hopeful that those with this mindset are able to read this article, or at least have some form of communication arrangement that I have been so fortunate to have in my placement, so that they may better understand what it is like to walk a mile in their shoes.

       This article also sent me back to my childhood. Through reading this the same thoughts kept surfacing about the nature in which I was raised by my parents, their involvement in my schooling, and the culture in which I grew up in. From the beginning my parents always taught me to be open minded about other cultures and to not always expect everyone to come from the same background as me, so when I read articles like this it makes me wonder what type of environment people who perpetuate the myths presented grew up in and where they come from in life. Thinking along the lines of “it's impossible for us to involves parents of ELL students more as most of our teachers are monolingual English speakers” sent me right back to my knowledge of my schools incorporation of translators to help collaborate with parents.

       One of the only sections of the article I had difficulties with was when it talked about home visits. Call it greenhorn nature, but I have not reached that level yet. I am still dipping my toes into the waters of teaching and have only recently created strong bonds with my students, let alone their parents. I have only briefly interacted with a few of my students parents, and even then it was at parent/teacher conferences. I feel like this will be something I am going to try and hit hard when I start full-time teaching, but I am unfamiliar with the steps involved with home visits, what I would say or even reasons for why I would visit them at their homes in the first place. From reading this article I can clearly see that parents appreciate home visits, for the most part as there are always outliers, as it shows the level of care being put in by the teacher. But as a student teacher I don't really see it as my place to make house visits. Yet. Eventually I will develop a sense for this sort of thing and be able to tell when and if this is the right thing to do. This semester is meant for growth and I intend to make the most out of it and will definitely utilize this articles teachings over and over again.

Samway, Katherine Davies and Denise McKeon.

       Myths and Realites: Best Practices for English Language Learners. 2^nd ed. Portsmouth, NH:

       Heinemann, 2007.