You were one of my favorite teachers! You
made an impact on my life. I remember you treating me and some of the girls
like real people and talking to us and respecting us. It's something I always
try to do now that I'm a teacher and part of that is because of the memories I
have of my year with you.
So thank you!
Wow! That
is what being a teacher is all about.
I
received a Facebook friend request from a former student of mine, and upon
minutes of accepting the request, she posted the above quote on my timeline. This
student, who I had as an 8th grader and who is now a teacher
herself, took the time, some 15 years later, to let me know the impact I had on
her. I remember this student and her friends fondly, and it warmed my heart to
hear from her. Since then, I’ve been able to “see” her and her family
(including her brother, who was also my student) on Facebook and see how
they’ve grown up.
What
struck me as especially notable in her post is what she remembered about her year
in my classroom. She didn’t mention the novels we read, the papers she wrote,
or the projects she completed. It wasn’t the homework or the tests I assigned
that made an impact on her life. It was how I treated her and her friends that
made a difference to her. It was how I respected them that she remembers and
emulates today with her own students.
Noted
educator Rita Pierson, in her TedTalk “Every kid needs a champion,” discussed
the power of relationships, referring to James Comer, who said that “no
significant learning can occur without a significant relationship” and George
Washington Carver, who said that “all learning is understanding relationships.”
She goes on to talk about how she worked to develop connections with all of her
students, to see them succeed against all odds.
Many of
the teachers I remember most from my own experiences as a student were those
who were passionate about their subjects, who went the extra mile to show they
cared about us as real people, and who saw our successes as their successes. It
wasn’t what they taught us as much as
how they taught us that made the
difference.
In recent
years, educators have felt the weight of high-stakes assessments, legislature,
evaluations, negative public opinion, heightened expectations, waning
resources, and much more. It is easy in all of this to lose sight of what drew
many of us to education in the first place: a desire to work with children and
make a positive impact in their lives. We must not forget this as we enter the
classroom each day. We must do whatever it takes to make the connection,
develop the relationship, and be the champion every child deserves.
Jennifer Caldwell
Executive Director
Standards Solution Holding, LLC
