Lessons Learned 1-5

Last week, I asked my English 10 classes, my S'Mores, to create a project telling me and the rest of the class ten concepts/skills/lessons they learned over the year.  In an attempt to appeal to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, I told them they could make a drawing, song, skit, or a simple power point as long as they showed me what they learned, using in-depth thought and critical.  Dragging because of May or lack the creative spark, most opted to make a power point.    Sitting back and listening to the presentation, some insightful and reflective, other banal and elementary, I decided what my next blog entry should be.  In the spirit of practicing what I appreciate, I share my first half of my top 10 Lessons Learned this school year. 

1.  I discovered the Fountain of Youth-- When John Golka first told me I was teaching sixth grade, I wondered if I should be allowed to be around them.  After all, they're so tiny; What happens if I drop them and one of them breaks?  When I was in sixth grade, I was still in elementary school, does that mean I have to put up colorful bulletin boards given my utilitarian sense of decor?  Nevertheless, I embarked upon teaching sixth grade, and it has been an adventure from giving reassuring nods and words of encouraging to quiet, wide eyed and scared middle school newbies to trying  to quell a sudden upswing of bravado late in the year in some soon to be seventh graders.  As Mr. John Howard said, "they have spunk and pep."  Well, that's not exactly what his exact words are, but this is a family blog.  Teaching 12, 11, and yes even some 10 years olds renews my love of learning.  From seeing a kid understand the intricacies of compound sentences to witnessing the light bulb moment of realizing better words exist than 'stuff' or 'things',  I find enjoy in helping kids develop the foundations of life long language skills.  As Steve Zissou says on The Life Aquatic, "That's(11 1/2) always been my favorite age."

2. It looked so good on paper- I'll sometimes have 11:30 PM teaching epiphanies, sitting on my couch, watching Annie dreaming of chasing elusive rodents.  I'll think to myself, "ahh hahh, that'll grab their interest!  That assignment will make them see the value of what we're doing  This lesson will change their world view and perhaps cure cancer!"  Convinced of the efficacy of my ingenious idea, I'll introduce to what I think will be the wondrous eyes of students who'll latch onto the concept like a Muskie on a lure, only to find that my idea does a Hindenburg crash.  Initially infallible, my idea succumbed to the harsh reality of high school students.  My limited preparation of the wondrous idea didn't let me see the pitfalls; however, I'll put the lesson in the instructional ICU for a year to recuperate, do reconstructive surgery, and let rise from the ashed to next year's class.

3. We Happy Few, We Band of Seniors-  Less is more definitely was the lesson I came to appreciate with my small but might Composition class 1st Mod each day.  Starting off with four first semester then expanding to a formidable six, we truly became a community where we could intimately discuss complex works of literature like Brave New World, honestly give in-depth feedback on each others' writing, and truly have a lax learning environment.  It reminded me of my small writing group of Robert, Brenda, and Judy and our hour meetings under the gingko tree by Morrill Hall during the Nebraska Writing Project a couple summer.  Under ideal circumstances, I truly believe these cadres are where learning happens most. In my experience, it's impossible to create that type of supportive, nurturing, honest, and open environment that elicits the best discussion and feedback in a class of 25; nevertheless, budget constraints and logistics make my 1 to 6 ratio an anomaly rather than the standard.  I will always cherish my year with Karley, Kevin, Fernando, Ashley, Danny, and Kathy.

4. I love Google Documents-  Leaving a O'Neill High, an Apple Distinguished school known to as flagship to technological innovation, I definitely had to revert back to class where computers weren't at every students' fingertips 24/7; however, to some students' chagrin, I embraced Google Docs as one vestige of my former school.  From making collaborative power points to giving feedback some rough drafts, I preached the Google Gospel, gaining a few converts by the end of the year.  If you haven't tried Google Docs, give it a try!

5.   The Teary Eye Moments Make It All Worth It-  Once told I'd make more money driving a beer truck than a first year teacher, I've always known I'll never make six figures a year teaching at any high school, public or private.    While the reasons I teach are numerous, some of the moments I savor are the 'teary eye' moments.   Tears when the kid who's been the nail digging into your foot says something profound, tears when the kid whose been struggling all semester finally gets it, tear when you read a paper where a kid unbars their hearts in their words, tears when that speaker you've coached  finally breaks through their performance, tears when your student does not need you any more, and and tears when you get that surprise thank you letter.  Those tears make all the sacrifices a teacher makes, monetary or otherwise, all worth it.  Those tears keep you going on the rough days, knowing that you were called to do this and that no other vocation gets the same 'teary eyes'. After all, what hedge fund manager gets to experience those type of tears?

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