Why I teach...

School is more than just academics. It’s more than a calculus test. It’s more than building and using new vocabulary. It’s more than the ability to memorize dates or historical events.

For teenagers, it’s life.

It’s where they start and end their day. It’s where they eat. It’s where they make friends and form enemies. It’s where they begin defining and making sense of the world they live in.

To them, it’s everything.

And it matters. It matters to them. And as an educator, it matters to me.

I believe in my students. I believe they are capable. At times, I believe for them when they are unable to believe themselves.

I have seen and witnessed growth on so many different levels while student teaching at Carmel High School.

I have seen quiet students speak boldly. I have seen loud students listen. I have seen failing students pass. I have seen passing students helping others. I have seen lives changed.

Maybe teaching has less to do with test scores and graded papers than it has to do with continuously building positive relationships with kids who unknowingly need an adult advocate. Maybe it’s about caring even when you can’t see the end result.

Maybe it’s about witnessing the progress of one class or one student. One day at a time.

Put a smile on your face

Student teaching is going incredibly well this week. One thing after another is falling into place. I am feeling more and more comfortable in the classroom. I just can't stop smiling.

Just for fun, here is a list (no particular order) of my favorite student teaching moments so far:

1. Learning to be more assertive and a little more "tough." I'll always be a touchy-feely person but I am learning how have high expectations for students as well as myself.
2. Today I ran into a student outside of class. Her reaction? Jumping up in down with a short and high pitched squeal. How cool is that?
3. Celebrating Abraham Lincoln's birthday and talking about journalism in the 1880s and today.

4. My first faculty meeting. Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed it. It's neat to see the entire staff together.
5. I went to lunch with the theater teachers and we had a blast. It was nice to get out of the room and talk to other teachers. Not that my own teacher isn't great of course!
6. SSR: Sustained silent reading. At CHS, students get 30 minutes on Thursday and Friday during first period to read novels. I love it for two reasons. Books become a topic of discussion. Teachers also participate (or they should). It is a nice break while still benefiting students.
7. I love seeing my students on a daily basis. It is so neat to be in their lives consistently. While I did a lot of popcorn teaching in college, student teaching is a whole new world of continuous instruction and continuous demands.

That is all for now. But I am sure I am missing 100 other things I love. :)

Hang in there, student teachers. We are halfway done!