2008 Sept Biggest Improvement from Last Year to This Year- Building Relationships

My biggest area of improvement as a teacher from last year to this year was learning how to build relationships with my students and their parents. My first year of teaching I was horrible at building relationships. I didn’t have any I idea what I was doing and was just trying to stay above water. Those who I would speak with at the New Teacher Meeting told me that I would have to build relationships with my students. I had no clue on how to start. I was so busy that first year proving that I was a teacher that I completely missed the mark with most of my students. I did. however, build some relationships that year, but as I’ve seen in the following two years, I could have done better.

Last year I had a “different” group of students. I fostered some relationships more so with my junior high students than with my high school students. I would ask them about their lives outside of school and dodge questions about my life outside of school. I would conference with students about negative behavior and call parents about positive behavior. I reached a lot of my younger students. My high school students were a little more hesitant about letting me into their lives. It was harder for them, because I did not start off with the high school class-I only had junior high and elementary. As time progressed I was issued a high school class around November or December 2007, almost 3-4 months after school started. I did fairly well that year, but I realize how that I could’ve done better.

So far this year has been one of the best years for student relationships. Because my alternative students know me from last year, they have a better respect for me, because I am still around. I have students who could not stand to be in my class last year coming up to visit me between classes. We talked about staying the 2nd year a lot in class and it does seem that it ups your street credibility. The students see you there for the 2nd year and they trust you more. They tell their friends about you-good or bad, but they still respect you more. I find myself telling other teachers all the time things like: “Have you talked to him? Call his mama, she’ll straighten him out! Or let me speak to him.” Looking back I remember the teachers at my first school saying those same statements when I would have trouble. I never thought that I would be in their shoes today. Talking with my students and just stepping back at how I handle certain situations helps me see my growth as an individual and a teacher. I am just glad that I am fitting into my teaching style, and I am glad to see that I have come this far with building relationships. I hope to keep getting better.

September 2008 Freewrite: Devon Who?

This story concerns one of my favorite students whom I blogged about before under Success Story.

One of my favorite students, Devon, has been promoted from the 7th grade to the 9th grade. I was so excited to see him when I began at my new school. I asked him what he was doing at the High School and he replied, “I go to school here.” He proceeded to tell me that he had taken his tests over the summer to put him in his right grade. I was so excited when Devon returned to a regular classroom setting. I had been checking on him all last year. I told him that I was proud of him for not getting into trouble in regular school and to stay out of trouble at the High School. He said he would and we went our separate ways.

Three days later during the madness of the beginning of school, I saw Devon wobbling down the hall headed to my class. He had that same smile and humor about him that I have grown fond of over the last year. He couldn’t wait to tell me that he was trying out for the football team and how excited he was to be at the High School. I just felt so proud of him for coming such a long way.

It is almost amazing to see how Devon transformed over the course of a year. He is more confident now in a class with peers his own age. He is one of my best helpers in the class. He answers questions and participates actively in class. I can’t express how perplexing this new behavior is for me. Devon used to sit in my class bored, trying to disrupt class. He used to just say, “If I don’t want to do nothing, then just leave me alone.” He was my child to stated, “The ONLY reason I come to school is so my mama won’t go to jail.” Just thinking about how he used to be as compared to how he is now almost makes me get a little emotional, which is totally out of my character.

I just feel that Devon is one of those students who can make it, with the right encouragement. I am still concerned about Devon’s home life though. He not with his mother anymore; however he stays with his older brother and his family while his stepmother has custody of him. I don’t know if his life became better or worse; however, I do know that he is improving in school.

For the first time in a long time, Devon is playing football and seems to be very good at it. He is a healthy boy and probably one of the largest on the team. He is so fast though-I’ve seen him run from a security guard at the school. I just think High School is the change that Devon needed, and I am so proud of him and cannot wait to see the great things he will do this year!