Many
years ago, when I was at a crossroads in my life, my father gave me some advice
that would ultimately define the man (And the teacher) I am today.
His words
were not an easy fix. His words inspired me initially, but if I was
going to put forth that inspiration, take action upon it, make it real… it
could take time and great sacrifice. I
remember thinking “How much time? What
will I be sacrificing, and why should I have to give up anything?”
The
younger version of me wanted what I wanted, when I wanted it! Once my mind was made up I went for it…no
holes barred! To accelerate a plan of
action was my credo; it’s what I did, and I did it well! The notion of doing something that needed
time to germinate never occurred to me.
The idea of giving up anything I already had for a greater good also did
not make sense to my young mind.
Couldn’t I just do, and still keep what was mine?
What motivated
me to act upon my Father’s advice was the end result he assured would
come. He told me that if I had the
courage to follow through, I would always know who I was, what I stood for, and
that I would be able to lay my head down and sleep soundly every night. If I stayed the course, the crossroads in my
life would be at my back.
Dear Readers, before I continue I want you
to think back to the teleplay of 12 Angry Men, written by Reginald
Rose. The character of Juror #8 (Played
by Henry Fonda) is who I want you to remember.
From the beginning he stood his ground voting Not
Guilty to everyone else’s Guilty verdict.
He then spent the rest of the play being yelled at, looked down upon,
accused of being a bleeding heart, and scoffed at. Juror #8 became the most unpopular person in
the jury room, until the end. Because
Juror #8 planted his feet, stood his ground, and persevered, the accused would
receive a Not Guilty verdict. He
examined then Reexamined the evidence, and he could not in good conscience go
along with the throng as long as he had a reasonable doubt. Juror #8 knew who he was. Juror #8 knew what he stood for. I am also sure that Juror#8 slept well the
fictitious night that followed his time in that hot, fictitious jury room.
The
reason I wanted you to think back upon Rose’s teleplay (I hope that you have
seen this play, if not I highly recommend it!) is because we…good teachers…are all
Juror #8! Granted this is a personal analogy,
but I think it has credence for us all?
My
attempt here is to relate my perspective on the issue of being a good
teacher, and though I know there are multitudes of good teachers out there who
will be able to relate to this bit of writing, I also know that there are a few
who may take offense. To the few…those
who see numbers instead of names, those who place more importance on scores
than on individual achievement, those who never deviate from the straight and
narrow path, and those who place more importance on grades than on students…I
apologize if this post causes you distress.
Then again, it could be that my apology isn’t really meant for teachers,
but for the odd administrator, various DOE officials, and the parents who are
reliving their lives through their children?
Something for me to ponder, I guess?
I have
always placed my students first. For
this reason and this reason alone I AM Juror #8! My students’ experience with me, their
self-worth, their fears, their attitudes, their past, their present, and their
future…all of this is worth more to me than anything else. I have always kept, at the forefront of my
mind, the fact that my students…my kids…each have a path to follow, and their
own mountain to climb. I make it a
priority to spend every day helping the fallen rise, the back-steppers to leap
forward, and the climbers to find a sure footing. This is all done between the lines of instruction
and testing.
I make it
a priority to take advantage of every Teachable
Moment, and I find that some of my best lessons have nothing to do with
curriculum. I have never failed a student, because success
is the original Fifty Shades of Gray! I spend more than a few minutes, everyday,
talking to my kids…finding out what is on their mind, and I never make a
classroom decision without consulting them first. How can my kids take ownership of their
classroom if they are left out of the loop?
When we are bored, we stop and do something out-of-the-ordinary! We play a song; we dance to some classroom
friendly hip-hop! Once our batteries are
charged, we get back to it! There are
student friendly incentives for awesomeness, and carefully constructed consequences
for poorly thought out choices. In my
classroom we are all held accountable for our successes and our downfalls. For most of my actions spelled out above, I
am considered the odd-duck. To play a
song in a classroom where 27 students are dancing their butts off…absurd! Taking 15 minutes from instruction time to
have a Town Meeting (Classroom discussion) about an incident that involved
bullying…Just crazy! That’s me…absurdly
crazy!
The
average kid spends about 13 years in school, 17 years with college
attached! These School Years are developmentally important! Milestones are laid at every turn on a
student’s path during these years, and who
a student becomes after, weighs in at the balance. I knew this LONG before I ever considered
teaching! Don’t we all know this? I can say that the reason I gained the
confidence to accomplish much of what I have in my life is because someone…other
than my parents…believed in me! The many
teachers along my own path encouraged me to cultivate the best qualities within
me. I could name quite a few who had a
direct impact on my life. I won’t, but I
could! These few are always with me, and
not because one taught me algebra or another taught me how to conjugate a verb! The reason (s) they stay with me has nothing
to do with academics, and everything to do with their belief in me, their
compassion, and their willingness to dedicate themselves to me. Think back to your own formative years, and
to the teachers that made a difference in your life. I will bet you a snow-day that your admiration
for them has nothing to do with algorithms, nor with metamorphic rocks!
My goal,
as a teacher, has been clear since day one.
I will make every year the best year ever! I will find the BEST part of all my kids, and
spend my short nine-months with them polishing it up! I will celebrate a “C” and a “2” achieved by
a student who never gave up, and never gave in!
I will put the care and welfare of my kids over state testing every
minute of every day! I will prepare my
kids for their own successful academic achievement, future grade levels, and
life! I will do what I must do to help
my kids achieve all that is achievable for each of them! Lastly, I will never forget how it felt to be
a fifth grade student.
Reader,
what I have written about here is nothing new; it is what we all do every
day. I believe that we all put our
students first…above and beyond all things.
I just wanted to share the advice my father gave me so many years
ago. The 12 Angry Men reference was just an added bonus…though it fits!
There will be times in your life when you
will have to plant your feet to see what grows, my Dad said. You
will have to decide whether you will do what is easy, or do what you believe is
right. If you take the easy road then
you will shuffle on with the masses, following the same path as everyone else. But, if you do what you believe is the right
thing to do, then you will begin to carve your own path. It’s hard doing this. You might even make a few enemies along the
way, but if you have the courage to stay the course, and believe in yourself,
you will always know who you are, what you stand for, and you will sleep well
every night. Then he posed the
question…will you take the easy road, or
will you plant your feet and see what grows?
In my
classroom I will always do what I believe is right. In addition, I will also attend to the
business side of my vocation, of course (PLC meetings, grades, pacing, DCAS,
paperwork, etc) but never at the expense of my kids. I don’t mind being Juror #8. One day the scoffers will see that I, and
others like me, have been right since day one!
