Melanie’s Blog

When asked what inspires me as a teacher, so much comes to mind.  The opportunity I’m given to help students achieve their aspirations, to expand on their knowledge, to encourage them to become lifelong learners and instill in them a love of learning inspires me.  Not many people are given opportunites such as these in their profession!  Knowing the impact I have on the future and realizing how important my job is inspires me.  Knowing I can make a difference in a child’s life inspires me.

When I’m tired or wondering why I’m a teacher, a moment always seems to arise in which I’m reminded why I’m there.  Whether it’s a child’s face lighting up because they just “got it”, appreciation from a parent of a struggling child, a smile from a student that I thought never showed emotions, or a hug, these moments get my through the day.  These moments, no matter how big or small, inspire me.

 Other co-workers or people like all of you inspire me.  Seeing others’ eagerness, hard work and perseverence such as yours inspires me.  New teachers coming into the building with excitement inspires me.  Old teachers that seem so alive and teaching as if it was their second year inspire me. 

I feel so lucky that I get to go to work and do something I love and hang around people I love.  I wish everyone could have a job in which they feel the same way!

After reading this chapter, I realized I had an area in which I need to improve upon in my own teaching.  I really liked the table on page 211 comparing traditional and alternative assessments.  That is an area that I need to improve upon.  I realize I need to do more authentic assessments with my students.  Lately, I have been so focused on the upcoming CRCT that every test I have made is in the same type of format.  It’s such an “important” test that I feel the students need to practice taking tests in the same type of format.  I liked Judy Smith’s idea of having her students write her a letter reflecting on things they’ve learned throughout the unit.  She places the letter in the students’ portfolios.  We also have portfolios for each student that we fill at the end of the school year, but it’s very limited as to what goes in it…running record, math paper, writing sample, etc.  I need to try some of the assessments mentioned in the chapter, such as role play, more science experiments, and more real-life activities.  I feel as if I have not done those lately and my kids learn so much from them and love them, as well!

This chapter was such a good summary to our semester.  There were many things in this chapter that made me reflect and/or connect to things we’ve learned through GSU or things in my own life.  I loved the quote mentioned at that beginning of the chaper by Alice Walker to “keep in mind always the present you are constructing.  It should be the future you want.”  A first year teacher mentioned that quote when talking about making a difference in her students’ lives.  It’s neat to read the excitement in the first year teachers’ quotes throughout this book, as well as the motivation they all seem to have.  I remember having that eagerness, excitedness, and motivation. I remember during my first few years of teaching, I was hoping I would get the kids that others thought of behavior problems.  I just knew that I would be able to pull them in under my wing and turn them into happy, well-behaved children.  I was so motivated and eager about things and feel that as my teaching career continued, my motivation and eagerness began to wane.  This chapter, as well as things we’ve talked about in class, have brought back some of that eagerness.  I feel less naive and more knowledgeable.  I feel as if I really can make a difference or a change. 

Throughout the chapter, many negatives of teaching were mentioned, such as lack of training, teacher attrition and shortages, pay, etc.  I felt so lucky after reading on page 476 that some teachers “point out that deteriorating facilities, overcrowding, inadequate materials, lack of time to meet and plan with colleagues, and the absence of professional autonomy and respect prevent them from doing the job they were prepared to do.”  I love my school and the teacher and administration that I work with.  I feel so sorry for teachers that have to teach in conditions such as those mentioned.  It’s something that is hard for me to even imagine.  It makes me sad that teachers just like me dread going to work when if something so simple as being in a different building would make them love their job.  I hate to think of all the wonderful teachers that quit because of reasons as those.  I guess the main thing that bothers me about my job is the lack of respect from parents.  I think a lot of the parents of my students think of me as a full-time babysitter instead of a teacher. 

I liked reading about the strategies to change the world.  I highlighted almost every word in the “Become a Social Justice Activist” paragraph.  How motivating!  Making social justices part of the curriculum was also interesting to read about.

I remember during my elementary Sunday School years, one of my Sunday School teachers said it wasn’t the building that made the church, it was the people.  This is also true of schools.  The people in them make all the difference.  At the beginning of the chapter, a beginning teacher was describing two high schools in which she had experience.  Both schools were very different.  The school I currently teach in has bits and pieces from both schools the first year teacher mentioned.  I have been in the same school ten of the past twelve years I have taught.  My teammates and I have discussed the fact that we would rather drive further to get to our school than to transfer to a closer school and end up with an administration  or team we didn’t like.  After continuing to read, I began to question, especially when reading page 345 that some teachers “assume and behave as if high achievement just wouldn’t be normal at their school.”  Although I do have high expectations for my students, I do sometimes feel it’s “normal” if my students aren’t as high as kids from other schools.  I need to, as mentioned on 357, “concentrate less on what students are lacking and more on what instruction can press all students to achieve.”  I need to “emphasize and model …the hard work and persistence it takes to succeed.”