I am definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Almost six months ago now, I accepted a position at a charter school with extremely combating feelings of excitement, pride, and absolutely guilt.
I felt guilt for leaving MY KIDS in St. Louis, I felt guilt about leaving the traditional public school sector to join the "easy path" at a charter school that would have everything in the world. I felt like I was turning my back on the mission that has captivated my soul for the past two years. Like I told my students yesterday during Community TIme, I felt like I was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons -- but all of that is behind me.
In February of 2011, thousands of Teach For America corps members, alumni, staff, and supported rallied in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organization that has been the enlightening point of many lives. At that juncture ... St. Louis was deservedly thrown under the bus for being the epitome of what happens when you throw money at a problem. In this case, when you throw money at a failing education system.
In my last classroom, I had ridiculously limited materials. Paper? Pencils? Books? Ha. But then my second year, I received a Promethean Board. Amazing, Did my teaching improve? Drastically. Did my students' learning improve? They ended lightyears away from when we met in 2010. Could we have done it without it?
I don't know the answer to that. Materials are necessary. What I've learned working at my new school, however, is that support is more important. Support makes the different. Support encourages a staff to be intrinsically competitive at all times because of the culture of determined achievement. Support gives a teacher the confidence to believe in her choices about her scholars and her classroom. Support keeps a great teacher on her toes at all times because she feels that she is able and depended on for doing so.
My school now may have less materials even than my previous one, but it has more support, encouragement, expectations, and appreciation than money can afford. I can't imagine what this school would do with all the resources in the world, but I know they would not be wasted on inefficiency or untaught practices.
What I am blessed to see at this school is that achievement is not inherited, it is earned. My scholars now and their families are the glowing example of the critical need for all partners in a single child's education to be locked, united, and gracious of one another's contributions and aware of one another's responsibilities. We hold one another accountable, we feel guilty for 30 seconds of down time, we pull into the parking lot when the sun is still asleep and leave as it is resting again.
I walk into my "educational cottage" -- okay, you know what it really is -- knowing that I am going to be amazed by the character that I will see from my scholars that day. Because they have more character than any people I have ever met. I know every morning that I will be inspired by the scholars and the staff around me, that I will leave our daily morning staff meeting at 7:25 with an inspiring quote and conversation to rock me through the day. I know that at least one of my principals will be in my classroom at least once that day. I know that at least one scholar will ask for extra homework. I know that 22 scholars will spend half of their energy supporting their classmates through moments of insight as well as struggling moments of misunderstanding.
I am working harder than I've ever worked before -- but in a totally new way. I cannot begin to compare this experience to the one I've had the last two years, but I can say that all of my energy now is pulled into GREAT teaching instead of surviving. The guilt is gone, as I realize now that I am learning what is required of me and our schools in order to produce a competitive and equipped next generation of society.
My scholars are still on the suffering end of the achievement gap -- they need me, and they need me to step up my game -- and this fact shows me how vast this gap really is.
And THAT is why I haven't spared the time to blog since before institute. I've been on fire.
"Look cool on the outside, but burn with the desire for teaching on the inside."
Almost six months ago now, I accepted a position at a charter school with extremely combating feelings of excitement, pride, and absolutely guilt.
I felt guilt for leaving MY KIDS in St. Louis, I felt guilt about leaving the traditional public school sector to join the "easy path" at a charter school that would have everything in the world. I felt like I was turning my back on the mission that has captivated my soul for the past two years. Like I told my students yesterday during Community TIme, I felt like I was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons -- but all of that is behind me.
In February of 2011, thousands of Teach For America corps members, alumni, staff, and supported rallied in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organization that has been the enlightening point of many lives. At that juncture ... St. Louis was deservedly thrown under the bus for being the epitome of what happens when you throw money at a problem. In this case, when you throw money at a failing education system.
In my last classroom, I had ridiculously limited materials. Paper? Pencils? Books? Ha. But then my second year, I received a Promethean Board. Amazing, Did my teaching improve? Drastically. Did my students' learning improve? They ended lightyears away from when we met in 2010. Could we have done it without it?
I don't know the answer to that. Materials are necessary. What I've learned working at my new school, however, is that support is more important. Support makes the different. Support encourages a staff to be intrinsically competitive at all times because of the culture of determined achievement. Support gives a teacher the confidence to believe in her choices about her scholars and her classroom. Support keeps a great teacher on her toes at all times because she feels that she is able and depended on for doing so.
My school now may have less materials even than my previous one, but it has more support, encouragement, expectations, and appreciation than money can afford. I can't imagine what this school would do with all the resources in the world, but I know they would not be wasted on inefficiency or untaught practices.
What I am blessed to see at this school is that achievement is not inherited, it is earned. My scholars now and their families are the glowing example of the critical need for all partners in a single child's education to be locked, united, and gracious of one another's contributions and aware of one another's responsibilities. We hold one another accountable, we feel guilty for 30 seconds of down time, we pull into the parking lot when the sun is still asleep and leave as it is resting again.
I walk into my "educational cottage" -- okay, you know what it really is -- knowing that I am going to be amazed by the character that I will see from my scholars that day. Because they have more character than any people I have ever met. I know every morning that I will be inspired by the scholars and the staff around me, that I will leave our daily morning staff meeting at 7:25 with an inspiring quote and conversation to rock me through the day. I know that at least one of my principals will be in my classroom at least once that day. I know that at least one scholar will ask for extra homework. I know that 22 scholars will spend half of their energy supporting their classmates through moments of insight as well as struggling moments of misunderstanding.
I am working harder than I've ever worked before -- but in a totally new way. I cannot begin to compare this experience to the one I've had the last two years, but I can say that all of my energy now is pulled into GREAT teaching instead of surviving. The guilt is gone, as I realize now that I am learning what is required of me and our schools in order to produce a competitive and equipped next generation of society.
My scholars are still on the suffering end of the achievement gap -- they need me, and they need me to step up my game -- and this fact shows me how vast this gap really is.
And THAT is why I haven't spared the time to blog since before institute. I've been on fire.
"Look cool on the outside, but burn with the desire for teaching on the inside."
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