Tag: student

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What I Wish I Would Have Said…

The end of the school year always has me feeling all sorts of sentimental and reminiscent. I think about all the growth and learning that has happened over the course of the school year, both by students and by teachers. The people walking out of the school doors on the last day of school are not the same people that walked in on the first day of school. I think back to my own students, and remember the happiness that came as I thought about how far they’d come over the year. It truly was one of those “pay day” moments as a teacher! Now, as a parent, I get to see the growth and change in my own children. It’s incredible to see, and it makes me even more grateful for their amazing teachers who put so much time into planning and carrying out lessons and activities to foster that growth. 

I think of the seniors graduating this year, getting ready to step out into the “real world” and be contributing members of society. No doubt some of them are ready to tackle this new chapter of their lives, while some are a little less ready. It’s a big change, going from high school to adulthood. There are a lot of lessons to be learned, a lot of life to be lived, and a lot of choices to be made. I remember my own graduation day, and the mixed emotions of excitement, relief, uncertainty, and nervousness as I officially left high school behind. 

I never taught seniors, so I was fortunate enough to have my students return to the school the next year, which meant I could still see them and say hi in the halls. Even though my students weren’t graduating, they were still leaving my classroom and moving on to a new chapter of their lives, and it was always a bittersweet moment. I wish I would have taken the chance to tell them a few things before they left my room for the last time. Of course I’d wish them a good, fun summer and remind them to stop by next year and say hi. But what I wish I would have done was to remind them of how amazing they are. Since I didn’t do a great job at it while I was teaching, I thought I’d say it now, because somewhere out there is a student who needs to hear this, and if it inspires even just one teacher to remind students of their greatness, then it’s worth it to me!

To my students as they leave my classroom:

There are a few things I want to make sure you know about yourself, in case no one’s ever told you. But you need to hear it, because what I’m about to say is the truth!

I hope you know how smart you are, and that you are smart in your own way. Your mind is capable of thinking, imagining, creating, and analyzing, and there are no limits to how far those abilities will take you!

I hope you know that you matter. That you weren’t just a warm body in my classroom or a name on my attendance sheet. You are an individual, with unique talents and gifts. Your voice matters. Learn to use it wisely.

I hope you know that you are not the mistakes you have made, nor are you the mistakes that you are yet to make. A mistake is just that– a mistake. It’s a bump in the road, but if used correctly, can teach you and change you. We all make mistakes, but those mistakes do not define us. 

I want you to know that you are filled with so much potential. I see it in you every time you step foot in my room. You’re going to do great things, I just know it. 

It’s important that you know that you have the power and right to choose for yourself. You get to choose what you want to be, the kind of person and friend that you are, and who you allow into your circle of people. Choose wisely.

I hope you know what a difference you have made in my life, and in the lives of those around you. Your influence reaches farther than you think.

I hope you know that my classroom is always a safe place, and you are always welcome here. If you need help, reach out. If I can’t help solve the problem, I will help you find someone who can, and will make sure you are okay.

I want you to know that I will always be your cheerleader, and that I will always encourage you and push you to be your best. I will celebrate your wins with you, and mourn your losses with you. 

I want you to know that you have so much to offer. Someone needs you– your talents, your opinion, your advice, or your brilliant mind.

And lastly, but certainly not least, I want you to know that you are loved. That you have filled a space in my heart that will forever be changed because of you. So if you don’t hear it from anyone else in your life, know that I care about you and love you– you are amazing and I can’t wait to see the incredible things you will do in your life!

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Start Low to Grow

Recently, my seven year old has started (loudly) expressing his disgust with me every time I remind him to do his assigned chore, pick up his room, help fold his laundry, etc. He is not interested in anything other than having fun, and honestly, sometimes I don’t blame him. In the midst of one of his defiant moments, he (again, loudly) said, “Mom! Why do you always have to boss me around and tell me to do things like clean my room?!” 

What I saw as a simple request for him to pick up his toys, he saw as me being mean and bossy. He saw it as a threat to his ability to choose for himself. And while that couldn’t be father from the truth, I can see why he might have thought that. As the adult, I can see the bigger picture at play here, and can see that teaching him basic skills when he is young will help him greatly as he gets older. As the kid, he only sees play time being taken away.

As his mom, part of my job is to teach foundational skills that will be built upon and that are necessary for successful adulthood. I wouldn’t expect him to plan, prepare, serve, and clean up an entire meal by himself– it would be a recipe for disaster! But, I can involve him in and teach him step by step. I can have him set the table, get ingredients out, or have him unload the dishwasher. Those are all skills he is capable of and can safely do. Learning a little here and a little there paves the way for bigger tasks later.

Teachers have a similar role with their students. We start at the bottom and work our way up. No one would expect a kindergartner to solve a three digit multiplication problem, nor would you expect a fifth grader to solve a complex equation designed for a high school senior. Doing so would just lead to frustration on all sides. Similarly, one wouldn’t expect a first grader to be able to write a detailed multi-paragraph research paper with properly cited sources, simply because they lack the necessary skills to do so. 

Providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully move forward is a crucial part of being a teacher. In order for teachers to know where to start, they need to know where their students are. This is why assessments are so important in the classroom. Teachers don’t have to give a big, formal test to see where their students are, though those do have their place. Informal assessments that are done along the way can be absolutely crucial to how a teacher moves forward with what they are teaching. 

As teachers gather formal and informal data, they are able to pivot and make any needed changes to how or what they are teaching so that they are able to help students succeed. It’s similar to when you are driving a car. Your mind is constantly making observations about surroundings, then telling you to make any needed corrections to keep your car where it needs to be. Paying attention early on and throughout the process can save you from going the totally wrong direction or worse, crashing.

It’s also important that we help students see why we are teaching the things that we are teaching. Like my son not fully seeing why I was asking him to clean up his room and do his chore, students also often miss the why behind what they are being taught. As we teach them and guide them into new material, we can remind them of what they’ve already learned that will make this new content more accessible, and we can also help them see that what they are going to learn will help them in the future as they build upon their knowledge.

Teaching can be overwhelming at times, sure. But so can learning, and it’s important that we keep that in mind as we prepare lessons and teach our students. We must meet them where they are, sometimes even back tracking a little if needed, to make the progress that we know they can make. When we do this, magic happens, and things begin to click in students’ minds. And that, my friends, is when the real progress is made.