Free Essay

Teaching

In:

Submitted By larose5522
Words 1314
Pages 6
Dear Teachers Everywhere...

by Jen Hatmaker on April 30th, 2013
139 239
11

Before there were any books or blogs or conferences or studies, I used to be a teacher. I know. Petrifying. I taught 4th grade for three years and 1st grade for one. And then I had a bunch of babies and can’t remember the next six years. I was a very average elementary teacher who totally loved my students. And also? Sincerely sorry about all that homework, 4th grade parents. I wasn’t a mother yet. I figured you had nothing to do but complete my exhaustive weekly social studies packets utilizing your children’s higher level thinking skills and research techniques, because what every ten-year-old needs is five hours a week of additional geography work. I’m certain now you wished me dead. Bless it. (Several students have contacted me and they are all I’m an accountant now and I’m like um, do you mean an accountant for your high school math team? and they’re like I’m almost 30 and I’m all what exactly the heck just happened?) Though I’ve switched to the fake job I currently have, I will never forget my classroom years, and I have a few things I want to tell you, Teachers Everywhere. First of all, I’ve calculated your earnings by adding your classroom hours, pre- and post-school hours, conferences and phone calls, weekend work, after-hours grading, professional development requirements, lesson planning, team meetings, extracurricular clubs and teams, parent correspondence, district level seminars, and material preparation, and I believe you make approximately 19 cents an hour. And then people say, yeah but teachers get three months off for summer, and then we all clutch our guts and die laughing because WHATEVER, MAN. Like teachers leave on the last day of school and just show up on the first with a miraculously prepared classroom and a month’s worth of lesson plans. But seriously, thanks for the laugh.

The amount of work and energy you pour into your work and our children is so astonishing, it is a crime that you don’t all make 150K a year. Since you couldn’t possibly do it for the money, we can only assume you love your job and love our kids. Can you understand how much we appreciate you? You are doing far more than teaching our kids the building blocks of knowledge and learning; you are helping us raise our children. You provide a second environment in which they have to practice respect, obedience, teamwork, diligence. We tell them take initiative on your work and they are like this house is a drag, and then they come home from school and say I’m starting this project early because Mrs. Pulis says to take initiative, and we wonder if you have magic powers or if our children are just willfully obtuse. The answer is…yes.

That high standard you set for our kids? We freaking love it. Thank you. Thank you for insisting on kindness and respect, excellence and persistence. Thank you for sometimes saying, “This is junky work and you can do better. See you at recess.” BOOM. All day long, teachers. We stand behind you. Thanks for requiring their best. And let me tell you something else: I’ve always had kids who mostly eased through school, but now I have two ESL kiddos and my heart for you has grown forty sizes bigger. My littles went to school with virtually no English, and I am telling you: we wouldn’t have made it through that first year without you, and I know what it cost. I can’t count how many papers came home last year with this stamp:

Don’t imagine I don’t know exactly what that means. Teachers, when you instruct our kids that struggle, I know you have, yet again, patiently pulled up a seat next to their desks, 24 other kids still in the room, and kindly helped them toward mastery. I know you modify, adapt, adjust for their success, which takes so much time and energy. Children with emotional or physical challenges, kids with language barriers and personal turmoil, those who struggle to learn and retain, test and succeed, they require so much of you in the midst of your regular responsibilities, and your patient attentiveness cannot possibly be overcelebrated. As a mom whose children blossomed under the weight of your investment, I could throw myself at your feet and weep with gratitude. It’s one thing to have parents who sort of have to love you; it’s another to have a teacher affirm your goodness all year long. You know our kids come home and repeat every kind word you deliver, right? I close my eyes and thank God that another safe adult is building health into my children, especially since two of my kids have been subjected to such unsafe grown-ups. Your consistent presence is deeply healing for so many hurt kids. Your words are life-giving.

That is A LOT of daily affirmation. I feel exhausted just looking at this.

We know your task is incredibly difficult. Be creative and innovative…but also teach to this test, which by the way, your pay and security depends on. Challenge your gifted kids…aaaand modify for those with developmental delays. Keep all those parents happy! (<--- This alone should double your salary.) Use this new model, no this new one, now this new one. Surprise! We changed the entire district database. Please forfeit your Saturday for training. Stay on top of classroom communication. Attend all ARD/IEP/ESL evaluations for your students. And oh, you do so much more. Serve on this additional committee. Volunteer to sponsor the Junior Class. Guess what you’re doing this weekend? Prom chaperone. You lead Destination Imagination Teams; it only takes 100 hours of your life. You coach, lead, sponsor, direct. You put on plays and programs, award ceremonies and graduations. You come early and stay late for the students who couldn’t get it, didn’t finish it, need your one-on-one help. You wear bandanas and paint your faces for Field Day. You are rock stars. Administrators, we see and love you too. When you sat down with me holding your legal pads and pens, ready to learn how to care best for my incoming Ethiopians, and you wrote down every word I said and agreed to counter-intuitive requests like please don’t hold their hands at first and please don’t let them over-attach to you, you nodded and simply said…absolutely. I will never forget that. You are for us, for our kids, for our families, for our teachers, and we adore you. You are amazing, Teachers and Administrators. From the bottom of my heart, I want you to hear it: Thank you. You are so loved, so important. Your work impacts kids for the rest of their lives. I am 38-years-old and still talking about Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Stranathan, Mrs. Thomas, Dr. Russell, Dr. Lyles. You don’t get the credit you deserve, so I am standing up today, applauding you, cherishing your investment in the next generation, in my kids. I see the incredible amount of work you do, and I am forever grateful. You are heroes; there is no lesser designation. Please remember when you are grading papers at 10:30pm on Sunday night, or pinning another incredible idea to your Teacher Board, or writing our kids another encouraging note, or throwing a party because they survived the latest standardized test, we see you, we appreciate you, and we freaking love you. BRAVO.

Your life matters so much and your legacy will go on long after you’re done teaching. You are sending out visionaries, thinkers, activists, and leaders into the world, and we owe you a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We honor you.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Teaching

...Although there are many things that characterize me as a new teacher, my teaching philosophy is based on a fundamentally optimistic view. I’m currently volunteering at the African Center. I teach basics English to refugees. I believe that all of my students, with the help of the right tools, will be able to overcome any difficulties that the study of a foreign language might present. I don't mean that every student who enters my class will be able to express him or herself equally simply as a result of how I present the lesson, but rather that each of my students will be guaranteed the opportunity to express him or herself to the best of his or her abilities. I believe that one of my best qualities as a new teacher is my ability to inspire confidence in my students so that they feel comfortable expressing themselves regardless of their level of ability. In my language classes, students are required to speak in English at all times: this is not always easy for those who are having their first encounter with this method of foreign language instruction. The first step, then, is to put the student at ease in such a way that even the most timid student is able to make the most of his or her time in the classroom. In my teaching evaluations, many students refer to the type of atmosphere that a language class should have, and to how the learning environment in my classroom allowed them to express themselves: "He created such an amazing class environment; no one was ever afraid to...

Words: 527 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Teaching Philosophy

...My current teaching philosophy incorporates motivation, commonality, other’s characteristics, making a difference, and relevance, as well as, values, the learning environment, and student/teacher relationship. First, I think the subject that is being taught should motivate the instructor. Knowing what one’s motivation is will enable a continuous cycle of success in student/teacher interaction. A motivated instructor learns as much as possible about the subject and passes it on to the student. In turn, the student is motivated to apply what is learned. A motivated instructor motivates the student. Ultimately, this will be a common occurrence. Teaching should maneuver the learning system in ways that cause students to accept a profound learning approach in an effort to achieve the course's requirements, allowing the desired course learning results (Myers & Nulty, 2008). Additionally, teaching should be designed by collecting information and formulating various decisions about how the course will be taught (Fink, 2003). The characteristics of others tend to spill over into one’s own teaching methods. Various characteristics of instructors from past experience are of significant worth. The traits of simplicity, clarity, supportiveness, and provision help create an environment conducive to effective learning. For instance the use of simple and clear instructions aides the student in efficiently completing assignments. The support and provision of the instructor shows...

Words: 886 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Micro Teaching

...INTRODUCTION TO MICRO-TEACHING Concept of Micro-teaching Micro-teaching is a teacher training technique which helps the teacher trainee to master the teaching skills. It requires the teacher trainee 1. to teach a single concept of content 2. using a specified teaching skill 3. for a short time 4. to a very small member of pupils In this way the teacher trainee practices the teaching skill in terms of definable, observable, measurable and controllable form with repeated cycles till he attains mastery in the use of skill. Meaning and Definition of Micro-Teaching Meaning Micro teaching is a procedure in which a student teacher practices teaching with a reduce number of pupils in a reduced period of time with emphasis on a narrow and specific teaching skill. Definition • “Microteaching is a scaled down teaching encounter in class size and time - D.W.Allen(1966) • “Microteaching is defined as a system of controlled practice that makes it possible to concentrate on specified teaching behaviour and to practice teaching under controlled conditions.” - D.W. Allen & A.W.Eve (1968) • “Microteaching is a scaled down teaching encounter in which a teacher teaches a small unit to a group of five pupils for a small period of 5 to 20 minutes” - L.C. Singh (1977) Objectives of Microteaching • To enable teacher trainees to learn and assimilate new teaching skills under controlled conditions. • To enable teacher trainees to master a number of teaching skills. • To enable...

Words: 984 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Teaching in Nursing

...Assignment 1 Guidelines: Teaching Plan Using the Teaching Plan template on WebCt you must plan a 20 minute teaching session, that you will perform in clinical practice with a patient of your choice, during the teaching activity your mentor or patient will complete the Teaching Activity Proforma (available on WebCt). ------------------------------------------------- Step 1 - Plan ahead – You need to manage your own time. Make an appointment to meet your module supervisor well in advance. At your meeting your module supervisor will expect to see a plan of what you want to discuss, they will provide advice and guidance, but they will not proof read your work or correct your grammar as this is your responsibility. Your work should reflect an understanding of: * the evidence base supporting your chosen activity and teaching patients * the need for confidentiality and sensitivity when interacting with patients, clients and carers * patient equality, peoples’ equality, diversity and rights ------------------------------------------------- Step 2 – your plan should consist of a title; introduction / background to the session; teaching plan, reference list and appendices (if applicable). Title – every essay should begin with the title written out in full Introduction / Background to the session (500 words) – this section should include your rationale for selecting the activity and a clear identification of the patient / client who the teaching is aimed at. Include...

Words: 532 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Micro Teaching

...they receive enough practical experience in teaching before they walk into the classroom, teachers and principals of schools still complain of the weaknesses of class control and classroom management displayed by these teacher trainees. When their lessons were observed it was understood that if the teacher trainees can improve the approach to their lessons they will be able to conduct their lessons more effectively. Because the beginning of their lessons is not effective they have problems in keeping the attention of the students and motivating them. As a result, they face the problem of class control throughout the lesson. It is hypothetical that one of the best techniques to help teacher trainees develop their skills is to use ‘micro teaching’ as a technique of training. But, in the process of training of teachers of national colleges of education enough weight is not given to micro teaching. Microteaching is organized practice teaching. The goal is to give instructors confidence, support, and feedback by letting them try out among friends and colleagues a short slice of what they plan to do with their students. Ideally, microteaching sessions take place before the first day of class, and are videotaped for review individually with an experienced teaching consultant. Microteaching is a quick, efficient, proven, and fun way to help teachers get off to a strong start. (Harvard University) As mentioned above micro teaching is a method that helps teacher trainees use...

Words: 345 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Co-Teaching

...till a later time. We then went into our lesson were we talked about three types of pollution; Air, Water, and Land. We went through and discussed what qualified for each pollutant, and discussed their health risks. We then broke the class into three groups and they read some material on how to prevent or help clean up the pollution for a specific type such as Air. We gave the groups about two minutes to go through their information and then had them share some of the facts they felt were the most important to know. To end the class we returned back to the question at the beginning of the hour and ask the students to put in the solution they think would work best for this. I thought my peer teaching experience went very well. I felt very comfortable standing in front of the class and teaching the lesson that Jake and I planned. The class was very respectful and joined in on the discussions with enthusiasm. The lesson we had planned went along smoothly and without a hitch. I really enjoyed being able to stand up there and help others understand more about a topic I thought was worth learning. I am very excited to have this be my profession every day, even though it might not go as smoothly every time. Overall there are a few things I would change. First off I would like to change the video to student portion rather than the teacher’s workshop. In reality I would show the video in both, but with the students you could involve more learning into it. The teacher workshop, it was...

Words: 773 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Teaching Philisophy

...TEACHING PHILOSOPHY   Except the other jobs, being a teacher needs different qualifications. There are many theories that explain how to be a good teacher. As a business student who may teach in the future, I would like to keep up with the times and try to be understanding to the students.   If we want to face to the truth, we need to accept that most of the students never enjoy the class. Unfortunately, counting the minutes might be more interesting than listening the teacher. At that time, we need to get their attention. If I was a teacher, I would talk about the trend topics that all student take interest in. Since the contents of business area change everyday, I would like to read about the news with the students in order to ensure they are familiar with what is going on in today’s society. I would choose one of the companies, for example such as Apple or Samsung, and also talk about their strategies that they would use at marketing class. Also I am very sure that most of the students will enjoy talking about the income of World Cup in the finance class.    Obviously, we can not follow news without using technology these days. I would like to allow my students use their laptop to access internet for reading news. Also using power point slide show makes the class more enjoyable. People will most likely forget what they hear, but it is hard to forget what they see.    On the other hand, I believe that a student who is majoring business needs to learn how to be a good businessman/businesswoman...

Words: 429 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Study of Micro Teaching

...Micro Teaching” A Paper As a partial fulfillment of the course of Master of Arts {part-II} in English, Evaluation of the paper IV.II: ELLT By Sharad N. Musale Roll.No-518 Submitted To The department of English R.N.C. Arts, J.D.B. Commerce & N.S.C. Science College, Nashik Road. 2012-2013 Content Introduction I) Meaning and Definition of Micro Teaching II) Nature of Micro Teaching III) Characteristics of Micro Teaching IV) Objectives of Micro Teaching V) Steps in Micro Teaching VI) Advantages and Limitations of Micro Teaching Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The paper is entitled as ‘A Study of Micro Teaching’. This paper is divided into six sections. The first two sections describe the meaning and nature of micro teaching. While the third and fourth section gives an account of its objectives and characteristics. The fifth section tells about steps in micro teaching. Finally the sixth section describes advantages and limitations of of micro teaching. Meaning and Definition of Micro Teaching “Micro teaching was developed by Dwight Allen and Robert Bush, in “Teacher Preparation” Programme at Stanford University between 1960 and 1960. Today, it has become one of the most important developments in the field of teaching practice in several countries. Micro teaching is an...

Words: 1259 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Teaching as a Professional Career

...aAlthough some people may argue that teaching is not a real profession, there are several factors that prove otherwise. Factors that define teaching as a profession include: • A specialized body of knowledge: Every day teachers teach students a specific subject or subjects, such as Math, Science, History, or Reading. Teachers are also responsible for knowing how to maintain an effective classroom environment and they must have knowledge of how children think and act. • Emphasis on decision making: Teachers are required to make decisions constantly throughout the day. They are responsible for deciding that types of lessons need to be taught and how to teach them. Teachers also have to decide how to react to students, for example teachers must decide how to discipline a student with poor conduct. • Reflection: Teachers have to constantly analyze and self-criticize their own teaching methods to determine their effectiveness. They must go over each lesson that they’ve taught and ask themselves whether or not the students understood it. A teacher can look over test scores or papers to determine if the lesson was taught accurately. • Autonomy: Teachers also have to use their own personal judgment to make decisions every day. Although states and districts set standards for curriculum and assessments, teachers make the direct decisions involved with teaching. Teachers must determine how much time should be spent on each subject and the best way to teach it. • Ethical standards for...

Words: 309 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Warfarin Teaching Plan

...Jennifer Bauman Teaching Plan NUR 232 Nursing Diagnosis Knowledge deficit regarding Warfarin R/T unfamiliarity with medication. Planning Learning objectives/Goals 1. On completion of the learning session, the client will verbalize what foods should be avoided or eaten in moderation while taking Warfarin. 2. On completion of the learning session, the client will be able to verbalize adverse signs and symptoms to look for when taking Warfarin. 3. On completion of the learning session, the client will be able to verbalize the importance of compliance and the need for regular monitoring. (Managing OAT: p.584) Content Outline 1. Identify foods to eat in moderation while on Warfarin. 2. Discuss the importance of compliance while taking Warfarin and adverse effects that can occur from taking Warfarin. 3. Identify adverse signs and symptoms that can occur while on Warfarin. Teaching Content The client will be taught that any major change in their diet could affect how the body responds to the medication (Q&A). Foods that are rich in Vitamin K should be eaten in moderation and if there should be an increase in the consumption of Vitamin K over a week, the client should have another INR test. Foods that are rich in Vitamin K include green leafy vegetables, chick peas, liver, egg yolks, cereals containing wheat bran and oats, mature cheese, blue cheese, avocado, and olive oil (Q&A). The client will be taught that compliance while on Warfarin is very important...

Words: 767 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Teaching Styles and Technology

...Ashley Hunter Ms.Lowry Eng. 1102 1 November 2012 Technology and Teaching Styles The concept of the newer technology is to improve the work done in classrooms and to give you a faster and more efficient way to research information without putting in that much work while still putting in your own ideas and thoughts. Today’s society use technology to handicap them, even in the classroom today. My question is will the different type of teaching styles used with or without technology affect students today? I believe yes, because technology is already making students lazy with just simply listening to music, doing research and other assignments done on the computer, and incorporating computers in the classroom setting will just hinder the students in the long run when it comes to knowing the information on paper. Think quest, an organization that studies the educational system of America in the colonial and post-colonial time period and author of the article American Elementary Schools in the early 1900s says the first formal school appeared in the 1630s. Boston Latin School was opened in 1635, and is considered to be the first town-supported school with a continuous history (par.1). In the middle colonies, such as Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, education was left to the governor and church groups (par.1). The rich children in the South had tutors that were from England. It wasn't hard to become a teacher, anyone who could read or write was allowed to teach...

Words: 1324 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Reflections About Teaching

...PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING Right from the start, Ma’am Glo asked us on what is our teaching principle? I don’t have any idea about that. What I only know is that I want to teach. I want to impart my knowledge, ideas and skills to the learners. But then, teaching is not an easy task. We stand as a model and an avenue for learning, an inspiration and hope to other people, especially to our dear students. Teaching is not just delivering or imparting knowledge to others, but again, accompanied with different principles. We must provide students the opportunities to demonstrate and practice the knowledge and skills innate in them. Teachers’ expectation also must be attainable so that our learners can match or cope with ours. Communicating must be clear so that our learners can perform better. “You cannot teach what you do not know” – a saying that elaborates too many topics that we do not know work against student learning. We should recognize the parameters of our lesson, the learners and their learning ability. Most of the time, there are instances that our learners can’t understand what we are talking about. We need to give time in shredding information to them. We are not our students, the level of thinking that we have is not like of them, sometimes we should go down to their level in order to give them clear information. This course not only opened my eyes, but also my understanding a lot of things about it. May these principles of learning guide us on our way to the journey of...

Words: 684 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Investigating Meaningful Teaching

...Running Head: Investigating Meaningful Teaching 1 Investigating Meaningful Teaching SPE-330 Grand Canyon University Investigating Meaningful Teaching 2 The world of teaching is a special place that is not for everyone. From the outside many people do not view or respect teachers as the highly skilled professionals they are. Teaching is a career that is focused on passion for children and making a difference. When asking multiple teachers their views and opinions on teaching and it's meaning the answers are quite varied, yet they all primarily are focused around the same principles. The concerns and opinions were basically the same in both general education and special education. I am wondering if this is because I spoke with all elementary school teachers. I did read the post of a classmate who had some different interview answers than I had, but she questioned high school teachers. I believe that depending on the grade level the answers will differ. No matter what the answers to the questions were, the universal element to teaching is love of children and a passion for teaching. For starters all the teachers I spoke to felt overwhelmed and stretched too thin. One kindergarten teacher I spoke to said that in her four years of teaching it seems as though one more teacher...

Words: 1095 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Phy Micro Teaching

...recruitment or for an efficient continued performance. Their ability to teach therefore largely depends on self training, either by trial and error while teaching or by observation of colleagues, who may or may not be helpful examples. Getting in front of students is a trying experience for a budding teacher. One may earnestly try to prepare him or herself: read books about teaching methods, attend lectures and take courses on didactics. Yet, in theory everything seems much simpler than in practice. The complexity of a teaching situation can be overwhelming. To deal effectively with it, teachers must not only have a good knowledge of the subject in hand, but also some communication skills such as ability to observe, supervise, lead a discussion and pose questions. Furthermore, a teacher should be aware of how students perceive him or her. This perception is sometimes quite different from the teacher's self-image. It is difficult to self assess one’s own abilities and we benefit from colleagues’ feed back to recognize our strength and identify areas for possible improvement. Evaluation of teaching by students is becoming a common practice, and a constructive feedback could be an effective way to improve one's rating as a teacher. Even the experienced educators may sometimes reflect about strengths and weaknesses of their teaching style. What is microteaching? Microteaching is an excellent way to build up skills and confidence, to experience a range of lecturing/tutoring styles...

Words: 2291 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Teaching in a More Powerful Manner

...Teaching Math in a Powerful Manner There are various ways to teach children math in a more powerful manner. Teachers need to understand that all children are unique and learn in various ways. In order to teach to the best of our abilities we need to teach them in the way they learn best. We also need to be sure that we are not lecturing our class. Lecturing a class is not teaching them, it is telling them what they need to know. We need to be sure that our teaching is intentional and relevant. If we want our students to do the best they can in our classroom then we need to teach in a more powerful manner. All children were raised differently and will learn math differently. It is our job as teachers to learn as much as we can about our students and their learning style preference. Some children prefer listening and some children are visual learners. Other children may prefer a tactile experience in the classroom. “Teachers must remember that while there are preferred input and output modalities, all children still need to develop their non preferred modalities. All these modes of input and output need to be used during lessons so that each child has the opportunity to use his or her strength and modality” (Tucker, 2006). It is our job to assess our students. We need to get to know them make sure that they know we care about them. We also need to be sure that our students know that we care about them and want them to succeed. When our children know that we have high expectations...

Words: 1190 - Pages: 5