As a teacher, you may never know the impact you may have on a student. They rarely, if ever, come back to see you. You might hear through the grapevine how they are doing. It's better nowadays with Facebook. I've connected with a few of my former students. I wait until they are in college before they accepting their "friend" request.
About a 6 weeks ago I was cleaning up after dinner when I heard a commercial clip about what would be in the news that night. It was the shooting of a 20-something young man. Unfortunately, you hear this quite often on the news, but when I heard the name I stopped. I stayed awake late that night to hear the story.
The story was that a young man was leaving a funeral with another young man. He was the passenger and while they were stopped two other men got out of another car and shot inside. The passenger was killed instantly and the driver went to the hospital. The young man who was killed was Jamal Coates...a former student.
I didn't recognize Jamal from the pictures, but I did the math and the age would be about right, the name was spelled the same, and I knew that he had at one time lived in the DC area. I did some research and found the name of someone who had mentored him the last few years. I Facebook messaged him and tried to determine if it was the same young man I had known 7 years before. The mentor was helpful and thought it might be, and was going to get back to me. Unfortunately, I haven't heard from him yet. I decided to take it a little bit further and contact a former colleague who may have taught him, too. She just got back to me today and yes, it is the same person we both taught years ago.
My heart is so sad and heavy that this is the outcome for one of my former students.What I remember about him as an 8th-grader: he was learning to enjoy reading instead of looking at it is as a chore, he had a good sense of humor, he got along well with his classmates, he didn't like my class initially but when he moved out of the area and then came back, he requested me as a teacher again. He progressed well and I was proud of him.
As a young man I read in the papers that he had been in some trouble, but was working to change that. He left the country with a group of other teens to go to another country to teach kids how to play basketball. He was making positive changes in his life and he was mentoring others. That sounds like the young man I knew. I am so sad that his life ended so abruptly and at such a young age. I'm glad that I had the chance to be his teacher.
Rest in Peace, Jamal. I am proud of you.
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Back To School
In my former life I was a teacher. I taught for 8 years. Four years at the elementary level and four years at the middle school level. Very fulfilling years. But no matter what, I always had back to school dreams. After my son was born, they became nightmares. I think it had to do with the anxiety of leaving him home and not being able to spend time with him. When I worked, I worked. There were many 11-hour days in a school building before I was able to make it home to the little man. Which is one of the many reasons I decided to try my hand at staying home full-time.
The first two school years of staying at home, I still had back to school dreams. They varied. Some of them dealt with my anxiety of not working or losing a part of my identity. Some of them dealt with being back in the rhythm of being in the classroom and loving the routine of it.
I had another one recently. In this one, my house was filled with teachers. Not just former colleagues, but good friends of mine that are teachers. It was morning, they were getting ready for their first preservice days at their respective schools. They were giddy and excited and talking about what was to come. Me? I looked at them and said, "HA! At least I get to sleep in :)"(Really, sleeping in just means that I sleep until about 7am, but it's still sleeping in for me!).
There was absolutely no regret about not going back to work. For the first two years of my childcare leave, I still thought about my year in terms of the school year. I'm finally joining the rest of society and looking at our time in calendar years. At the beginning of every school year I still pray for my friends that are working. I pray for a good school year for them and for their students.
But I think the tide is changing and I no longer hear the school bell ringing for me :)
The first two school years of staying at home, I still had back to school dreams. They varied. Some of them dealt with my anxiety of not working or losing a part of my identity. Some of them dealt with being back in the rhythm of being in the classroom and loving the routine of it.
I had another one recently. In this one, my house was filled with teachers. Not just former colleagues, but good friends of mine that are teachers. It was morning, they were getting ready for their first preservice days at their respective schools. They were giddy and excited and talking about what was to come. Me? I looked at them and said, "HA! At least I get to sleep in :)"(Really, sleeping in just means that I sleep until about 7am, but it's still sleeping in for me!).
There was absolutely no regret about not going back to work. For the first two years of my childcare leave, I still thought about my year in terms of the school year. I'm finally joining the rest of society and looking at our time in calendar years. At the beginning of every school year I still pray for my friends that are working. I pray for a good school year for them and for their students.
But I think the tide is changing and I no longer hear the school bell ringing for me :)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Is Teaching in My Blood?
Last night I had a dream that I was back in a classroom teaching fourth graders. I was making mistakes in some of my routines, but was already making mental notes how to make things go more smoothly the next day.
Don't get me wrong. I don't have any intention of going back to the classroom anytime soon. I love staying home with my kids. I recently told Hubby that any day that I get to wake up and stay home with the kids and not have to leave for work is a good day. It doesn't mean I'll never work again, but it does mean that I've decided to make my kids my priority. When the time comes, I'll go back to work...but I still don't think it will be the classroom. I have another idea that I'll share in another 10 years ;)
I think I had this dream because I'm preparing for my son's preschool summer camp with our church. This year I have been recruited as a preschool teacher and I'll be teaching 3 & 4 year olds about religious life in Ireland in year 600 AD or is 400AD? I'm really excited for the opportunity, but a little nervous. My expertise is upper elementary and middle school. While I have young children, teaching a group of them will be a completely different experience.
At the last meeting for the preschool camp, there was a request for volunteers to help keep the camp running next year. The current director has decided to step down after 5 years. She has done an amazing job, but it is a lot of work! We don't use a box VBS (Vacation Bible School) curriculum and it takes the effort of many volunteers to put the camp together for 60-90 campers a year. Anyway, she suggested that the camp continue with no less than 25 volunteers and is asking for future volunteers to keep the camp going.
If you know me or have worked with me you know that I'll volunteer and then tend to take on too much. I did this with my former job and I completely burnt myself out. So for the last 2 years my mantra has been...let me think about it. I just know that if I say "yes" I'll put 110% into it. Which is great, but then I get stressed and then stress out my family. So I held back and didn't volunteer (yet) for next year's camp. I intended this year to take my new teaching assignment and do what I was told and not take a leadership position, but do what was asked and do it to the best of my ability. But.....
I can't help it! We broke down in small groups to go over our lessons for the week. Since I was the only one in the preschool group that made it to the first meeting I had all the information for the other ladies. So of course, I sat down and started going over class lists and schedule. I started going over lessons and provided suggestions. Hubby laughed when I told him that I couldn't help it but I'm really good at telling people what to do. Go ahead and laugh. I know you are!
We talked and collaborated and shared ideas...but if there was a leader I was probably it because I led the discussion. Sorry! I don't mean to, I just can't help myself. I think it's the teacher in me. I also think it's the administrator in me that has always been buried inside. But despite all of this, I do not want to take a leadership position anywhere!!
So it brings me to what I've been thinking about for the last 3 days...should I add myself to next year's volunteer list? This kind of thing is definitely my strength. I have the organization for it, the training for it, and the experience. I know that if I volunteer that I won't be the only one. The group is filled with other parents who are go-getters, self-motivated, and creative. I would not be doing this by myself. I would actually be in a league of others who are in the same mind-frame. I think the camp is a great idea and I know that my son loves it. He totally benefits from it and I love the structure. I would hate if the camp couldn't continue because we didn't have enough volunteers.
So here I am...debating.
Don't get me wrong. I don't have any intention of going back to the classroom anytime soon. I love staying home with my kids. I recently told Hubby that any day that I get to wake up and stay home with the kids and not have to leave for work is a good day. It doesn't mean I'll never work again, but it does mean that I've decided to make my kids my priority. When the time comes, I'll go back to work...but I still don't think it will be the classroom. I have another idea that I'll share in another 10 years ;)
I think I had this dream because I'm preparing for my son's preschool summer camp with our church. This year I have been recruited as a preschool teacher and I'll be teaching 3 & 4 year olds about religious life in Ireland in year 600 AD or is 400AD? I'm really excited for the opportunity, but a little nervous. My expertise is upper elementary and middle school. While I have young children, teaching a group of them will be a completely different experience.
At the last meeting for the preschool camp, there was a request for volunteers to help keep the camp running next year. The current director has decided to step down after 5 years. She has done an amazing job, but it is a lot of work! We don't use a box VBS (Vacation Bible School) curriculum and it takes the effort of many volunteers to put the camp together for 60-90 campers a year. Anyway, she suggested that the camp continue with no less than 25 volunteers and is asking for future volunteers to keep the camp going.
If you know me or have worked with me you know that I'll volunteer and then tend to take on too much. I did this with my former job and I completely burnt myself out. So for the last 2 years my mantra has been...let me think about it. I just know that if I say "yes" I'll put 110% into it. Which is great, but then I get stressed and then stress out my family. So I held back and didn't volunteer (yet) for next year's camp. I intended this year to take my new teaching assignment and do what I was told and not take a leadership position, but do what was asked and do it to the best of my ability. But.....
I can't help it! We broke down in small groups to go over our lessons for the week. Since I was the only one in the preschool group that made it to the first meeting I had all the information for the other ladies. So of course, I sat down and started going over class lists and schedule. I started going over lessons and provided suggestions. Hubby laughed when I told him that I couldn't help it but I'm really good at telling people what to do. Go ahead and laugh. I know you are!
We talked and collaborated and shared ideas...but if there was a leader I was probably it because I led the discussion. Sorry! I don't mean to, I just can't help myself. I think it's the teacher in me. I also think it's the administrator in me that has always been buried inside. But despite all of this, I do not want to take a leadership position anywhere!!
So it brings me to what I've been thinking about for the last 3 days...should I add myself to next year's volunteer list? This kind of thing is definitely my strength. I have the organization for it, the training for it, and the experience. I know that if I volunteer that I won't be the only one. The group is filled with other parents who are go-getters, self-motivated, and creative. I would not be doing this by myself. I would actually be in a league of others who are in the same mind-frame. I think the camp is a great idea and I know that my son loves it. He totally benefits from it and I love the structure. I would hate if the camp couldn't continue because we didn't have enough volunteers.
So here I am...debating.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
In My Element
Last night I did make it to the Summer Camp Volunteer meeting. I was very late, but was able to sit down and get some of the information needed and figured out what was expected of me.
As I sat down looking at schedules, themes, and ideas for the week, I felt like I was back in my element. You see, in my former life, I was a teacher. I taught 4th grade (all subjects) for 4 years, and then I became a Middle School Reading Specialist and I worked with students 6th-8th grade. I dedicated 110% of my life to my job (before kids). My husband and I were both in grad school and were fairly busy so I could devote a ton of time to my job. I loved the routine of teaching. Set routines and lessons, with the flexibility to change it up to fit the needs of my kids. I loved introducing them to something new and seeing it added to their schema and expanding their knowledge. However, I did it for 8 years and burnt myself out. I joined the leadership team at school and then attended meeting after meeting and didn't get to spend as much time doing what I loved and that was being with the kids. Even though one perk to being on leadership was that I got to develop school-wide programs that benefitted the kids and that was pretty cool!
I realize that since I'm home with my kids that I could create neat thematic units to teach at home that incorporate all of the subject areas, I'm still pretty burnt out from teaching a full schedule. So I haven't done it with my own kids yet. But at the same time, I feel like I'm always teaching because I teach them new vocabulary the every day (like last week I taught my 4 year old the word "parameters"), simple math (the kids are 4 and 20 mos), history, and science. I encourage questions and do my best to answer them. So I teach them, it's just not formally.
Anyway, as I sat with the outlines for preschool summer camp, my mind started racing with ideas for guided questions, visuals, hands-on activities, and text to accompany it. I started to get excited and began writing down ideas to start working on this week. Last year I helped the preschool kids with art activities that supported the lessons. This year I will be a preschool teacher. I'm really excited but a little nervous. To be honest, I do better with older kids. But I'm looking forward to working with the little ones. It will take a different type of teaching style, but I think I can make it work. This year the camp is "traveling" to Ireland! How cool! I can't wait to share this pilgrimage with the little ones :)
As I sat down looking at schedules, themes, and ideas for the week, I felt like I was back in my element. You see, in my former life, I was a teacher. I taught 4th grade (all subjects) for 4 years, and then I became a Middle School Reading Specialist and I worked with students 6th-8th grade. I dedicated 110% of my life to my job (before kids). My husband and I were both in grad school and were fairly busy so I could devote a ton of time to my job. I loved the routine of teaching. Set routines and lessons, with the flexibility to change it up to fit the needs of my kids. I loved introducing them to something new and seeing it added to their schema and expanding their knowledge. However, I did it for 8 years and burnt myself out. I joined the leadership team at school and then attended meeting after meeting and didn't get to spend as much time doing what I loved and that was being with the kids. Even though one perk to being on leadership was that I got to develop school-wide programs that benefitted the kids and that was pretty cool!
I realize that since I'm home with my kids that I could create neat thematic units to teach at home that incorporate all of the subject areas, I'm still pretty burnt out from teaching a full schedule. So I haven't done it with my own kids yet. But at the same time, I feel like I'm always teaching because I teach them new vocabulary the every day (like last week I taught my 4 year old the word "parameters"), simple math (the kids are 4 and 20 mos), history, and science. I encourage questions and do my best to answer them. So I teach them, it's just not formally.
Anyway, as I sat with the outlines for preschool summer camp, my mind started racing with ideas for guided questions, visuals, hands-on activities, and text to accompany it. I started to get excited and began writing down ideas to start working on this week. Last year I helped the preschool kids with art activities that supported the lessons. This year I will be a preschool teacher. I'm really excited but a little nervous. To be honest, I do better with older kids. But I'm looking forward to working with the little ones. It will take a different type of teaching style, but I think I can make it work. This year the camp is "traveling" to Ireland! How cool! I can't wait to share this pilgrimage with the little ones :)
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