It's 10 am on a Tuesday. In my classroom I was taking in all of the chaos: kids not being at a voice level 0 during independent work (when they know the expectations), I somehow cannot find my guided reading plans, even though I KNOW I put them in the correct spot way in advance since I am a teacher and my planning mind makes me crazy (in good ways!) and now need to rely on my memory, kids are asking to go to the bathroom every two minutes, and time is going WAY faster than I had anticipated. I stop myself for a second. I take a deep breath and clear the frustration out of my mind. Moments like these make teachers realize their power and their worth. Teachers have the power to make a difference in students' lives. Not only a difference; teachers empower students in ways they do not even realize. Day in and day out, the time that we spend with these students brings more and more opportunity to make an amazing difference in their lives. For these reasons, teachers are remembered.
During institute days this year, one of the presentations included "What I wish my teacher knew". This video played and I know I was one among many with tears in my eyes. Sometimes among all of the 5,239 things going on at once, teachers need to step back and reevaluate their purpose. For me, I know that my students need me and I know I make a difference. For this reason, I'm grateful to be in these kids' lives every day.
Here is the video that was showed to us:
During the first week of school I had my students finish the statement I wish my teacher knew... I think it really motivated them to trust in me as their teacher and it was great to know what they really felt. I highly recommend doing this activity any time in the year to really connect with your students. I sometimes forget that while I spend nearly all day with these kids, I don't know it all, especially about what goes on at home. To finish the activity, I created my own I wish my students knew note. I showed it to them and saw many, many smiles.
Thank you for taking the time to read my first ever blog post! I have always loved writing and I LOVE teaching! This is the perfect combo of both! :)
