Why I Teach...

It is that time of the year where people start to give you dirty looks at me because I'm a teacher and "I get summers off." I'm not going to waste space in this blog refuting that stupid comment. People that read this blog know better and I do not need to preach to the converted. However, I do want to share with everyone a few things that have happened over the past week that are the real reason I teach.

The first thing I want to share is something that happened to me today. I had a great group of kids in my 5th hour this year. The worked hard, but found the time for a good laugh. I promised them a bagel party before their final exam today because of their year of hard work. Some kids trickled in before the start of the final exam and I was called away to answer some questions for another teacher. Normally, I do not leave my room unattended, but I trust these kids enough to give them my car keys to drive to my house to bring back my wallet. They are that good! Anyway, while I was talking to the teacher, the kids shut the door and quickly covered the room with these,

You see, Justin Beiber has been a running joke in class all year and I can't stand this kid. Why is he trending on Twitter ALL OF THE TIME? Anyway, I have a few girls with Bieber Fever and they thought it would be funny to have a Bieber themed Final Exam. They also made me a giant cupcake seen here,

This connection with a group of kids is just one reason why I teach. Here is another.

In High School, it's rare that you get to know a student over the course of four years. You might have them in class for only 1 year and they bounce around to other teachers. Every so often, you get a chance to teach a kids for three or even four years. It's great because you really get to see them grow and mature. I had this opportunity to work with a student over the course of four years and she is easily one of my favorite students of all time. This quick story is how I first got to know this student.

Freshmen year, I give my students an assignment to create their own Origin Myth after having read some Greek stories. These are Freshmen, so I expect a bunch of spelling and Grammar issues, but that's fine. They are here to learn. I impress upon them the importance of proofreading to catch silly mistakes before I get them and find them. Well, this student failed to proofread and this is a sentence I found in her paper, "The mother raped the baby in the blanket." She assured me she meant wrapped, but it was a great teaching point about the importance of proofreading.

Over the years, she has always been very kind and come to me with questions and guidance over various things. This student is graduating this year and is going on to to great things. She wrote me a note and said something that, to me, is the reason why I teach. "Thank you for impacting my life in ways I never thought you would." It was simple. It was sweet. It means the world to me.

The last thing I want to share, but is far from the last reason why I teach is another note from a student. Much like the odds of having a student for four years are steep, getting to know a student that you never teach is next to impossible. I worked with this student over the course of 4 years through various clubs and I would let them pick my brain about school, club stuff, etc. They are one of the smartest students I have ever know and they are going to change the world. One day they came to room to chat and we started talking about the 1,000 greatest books in the world and which ones I have read or want to read. I mentioned I wanted to read Life of Pi and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Two days later I received a gift bag from the student that had both of those book and a note. This sentence is another reason why I teach, "...while you never taught me while I was sitting in a desk, you taught me while I was sitting on one."


I decided to share these stories because it is too easy for teachers to be at the end of their rope in June and wonder why they do what they do. I DO NOT teach to get these nice cards from students. However, they are the things that I will cherish until the day I retire. They are the reason I teach and I hope all of you have your reasons.

Have a great summer everyone!

No More Tests Update

Here is my first update on the No Tests for 10 Weeks Challenge. I wanted to give the students an option for their final project on Art Spiegelman's Maus I and II. Many decided they wanted to do an essay and some decided to do PowerPoints. Here is a picture of what one student came up with that is pretty cool.

Gavin O. 

Gavan decided to create a sculpture influenced by the stories that he read. He typed out a page and a half explaining the art. He created a Mobius Strip out of metal and used barbed wire to create a Star of David and a Swastika. He explained that the Mobius Strip symbolized the perpetual nature of the violence and how it affected the characters in the long run. Both symbols were used inside the sculpture because the two icons will forever be linked by the violence and the barbed wire symbolized the concentration camps. Even the stand had symbolism. He said the stand symbolizes an heirloom. The Holocaust is something that is passed down from generation to generation and should not be forgotten. 

Now tell me that a 50 Question Multiple Choice Test would better assess this student.

Why I Teach

I wanted to share this story with as many teachers as possible. This is not the only story I have like this, but it is the most recent (It happened Friday). Please feel free to share your own "Why I Teach" moments on the comment section. I think many of us need to hear these stories. I also think as many parents as possible to need to hear these stories as well.

I was feeling a bit under the gun the past week as I was trying to get multiple class sets of essays checked so I would not be slammed for the weekend. I was also trying to put the final touches on some curriculum stuff for my department for a meeting on Monday. So, it was a typical day for me. I decided to take a working lunch. (I'm generally against this concept because I think it's vital to socialize with your staff as much as possible. I'll write more about this later.) I had just settled down with my PBJ, water and stack of papers when I heard a knock at my door. I turned around and saw a student frantically waving a paper at me and the she dropped the paper and started to plead with me to open the door. It was a bit dramatic, but I had the student last year and didn't think much of it.

I let her in and she explained to me that her current English teacher was giving her a hard time on her Thesis and topic sentence writing. She wanted to know if I would refresh her memory a bit and help her with her paper. I tried to deflect her to after school when I would have more time, but she said, "I know you must be busy, but I just don't get it when she tries to explain it to me. If you help me know, I won't bother you again...until  I need a letter of recommendation."

I could not say no at this point. I sat her down at a desk and began to look over her work and started to walk her through the process of essay writing again. She had a hard time understanding me and I could see the frustration on her face. She looked up at me and said, "I'm sorry I'm having trouble getting this. Why would you ever want to be a teacher and deal with students like me?" I smiled and promised I would tell her in a few minutes.

I started from scratch and went through the essay writing process again. She started to get the idea of what her other teacher wanted and created a near perfect thesis statement. The hallways were getting crowded as the lunch period was drawing to a close and this student had written a much better thesis and 3 topic sentences for her supporting paragraphs. It wasn't a painful task. She had the skills, I just think that she was freaking out for no big reason. After writing her final topic sentence she smiled and said, " I got it now. This wasn't that big of a deal."

Not only do I love seeing a light bulb go off above a student, I love the energy it creates all over. I looked at her and proudly said, "That's why I teach." She left and I took a bite of my PBJ as the bell rang. I knew it was going to be another long day after school, but i wouldn't have traded my missed lunch for anything else....maybe less essays to check. :)

Like I said before, there are so many more stories like this out there. As teachers, I think it's our job to share them with as many people as possible. We are not the people who enjoy "summers off". We are the people that give up lunch hours, after school hours and summer hours to improve ourselves, our schools, our communities, and our students. That's why I teach, why do you?