Monday, August 8, 2011

Why I teach

First of all,  a shout out to Matt Damon - I like them apples.  It felt good to have a celeb defend us.
I think now that it's back to school time, we should respond to some of the criticism of the SOS march. Many wrote "Why I'm marching." Let's now write "Why I teach." Hopefully one of you more technically savvy people can create a special webpage for this and make it a big deal.

Why I teach:
    I teach because I was called to it. I teach because the most important thing to me in my life  is to  be kind and generous and good to others, and this is the best way I know how.
    I teach because I find at least one quality to love in each one of my students - and sometimes I really have to search- but I ALWAYS find something - and that makes me feel good about myself. I teach because once a student knows about that quality makes me love them,  it changes who they are, and how they think about themselves.
     I teach because kids are funny, smart, mad, sad, violent, incontinent (that happens in special ed sometimes) weird, sometimes violent, sometimes very troubled - but they are all fascinating and wonderful in some aspect...even though there are days, maybe even weeks, that I forget that.
        I teach because the education of every child (or adult for that matter) is like the beginning of a  puzzle for me to put together - I do the end pieces, the borders, and I marvel in watching them fill it in for themselves. I never know what the picture inside the borders will look like, and am usually thrilled when I see it.
    I teach because of the many colleagues I have that feel the same way, and if I'm having trouble with the puzzle, they will help me. 
   I teach because teaching is a craft: parts knowledge, technique, part magic and illumination - but the mix a teacher uses for each child, for each period of the day - is all based in the gut. 
   I teach because the craft allows me to try new and different things from year to year, I don't stagnate. (Theoretically, that is)
     I teach because of the child whose dream was to go to "Montealbec, Candada" and eat creme brulee got to eat creme brulee in my classroom at least - the ability to make a part of a dream come true is marvelous.
      I teach because that child now knows its "Montreal, Quebec, Canada." 
   

3 comments:

  1. PLease write to me about why you teach....

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  2. I teach because for some of my students, the 7 hours spent in school is the best 7 hours of their day. I can't change what goes on outside my classroom doors, but I can make sure that inside, students are comfortable, engaged in learning, and safe. I teach because I believe that each of my students is striving to communicate, to be understood, and when I discover what they are trying to say and help them express it to others, it's the greatest reward. We don't always have to love each other, but by treating my students with respect and courtesy, I can lead by example and help them learn to do the same.

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  3. Thanks, "Mariaaa", you said it better than I could.

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