To start I want to discuss Ch. 16 "Lessons from Teachers." Lisa Delpit gives us 10 guidelines to follow as teachers in urban education. (see Natali's post below, in order to avoid so much repetition. :) )I personally feel that a lot of what is entailed in these lessons has been taught to me over the past few years here. I feel that there has been emphasis put on a lot of these lessons, for example teaching above, rather than below, student level, making connections between learning and their identities or cultures, and building on student strengths. I do think that reading things like this is always a necessary reminder for us as future teachers. Just as we saw in Ch. 15, it can be challenging sometimes and bring you to a feeling of hopelessness, however it is the hope that if kept in mind, these lessons will help us through some of the tough experiences we will encounter as teachers in urban education.
I'm sure that many of you, just like myself, connected or related to Ch. 15. Just like Lisa Espinosa, we are all finding ways that we automatically connect to our future students and what they go through. I feel just how Lisa did about wanting to make a connection with students and being eager to face these challenges. We all have goals, just like Lisa, that we want to reach as teachers. We want to make these differences, but what happens when we make the realization that Lisa did? She confessed that her personal experiences and passion were just not enough, she wasn't taught how to deal with her overcrowded classroom and lack of resources. She expresses that by the fourth year of teaching her ideology has been "tempered by experience." If anyone is like me, you maybe read this and felt anxious.
- We all have the best of intentions when going into teaching, how do we avoid not becoming discouraged?
- What is enough?
- How can we prepare for things like overcrowded classrooms? Lack of resources? Little to no say in decisions made by the school?
Espinosa talked about her experience with her 7th grade student Jasmine. I'm sure this reiterated the importance of home visits to everyone and I think the story really reminds us that we never know the whole picture, and this is one way to see that.
We may have discussed this on the blog already, but
- Is a home visit something that seems feasible to you guys as future teachers?
Just to leave off on a optimistic note, I think the poem Espinosa quoted at the end of Ch. 15 is one to reflect on: "Everything flowers, from within, though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness."
Maggie, You bring up some good points and ask some tough questions...
ReplyDeleteI just finished writing a thorough response to all of your questions, just for my computer to do something weird and delete it all, so here comes the condensed version:
I think that we can avoid becoming discouraged by acknowledging the magnitude of seemingly small victories. By reminding ourselves of why it is that we want to be teachers, and by celebrating the times when we are able to positively effect our students. As for the other questions, I think those answers depend on the person. Knowing what is enough stems from knowing how much you are capable of giving. Knowing whether a home visit is feasible comes form deciding how comfortable you are being in the homes of people you don't know, and possibly in neighborhoods you aren't familiar with. As for the lack of resources, that's when it's time to be creative and ask other teachers what they are doing. I do not yet know some of these answers, especially in regards to home visits, but these are all things I am interested to learn more about!
I never heard of anyone in CPS ever making a home visit, so it seems strange to me that I as a teacher ever would. I think a lot of information can be gathered from observing a student outside the classroom and that the gesture of a home visit can mean a lot to the students and their families attitudes towards the teacher and school, it seems like a rare thing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other stuff I think you bring up good points of reminding ourselves why we are teachers on a regular basis, to avoid being bogged down by the things that don't matter and can be discouraging. Stepping back and looking at what you are doing from multiple perspectives.
I think a big thing is that a lot of schools create this illusion of how they are not able to succeed because of the things they do not have, enough classrooms, technology and other resources, when none of that matters to how effective a teacher someone is, granted that yes smaller class sizes and better resources can be beneficial learning can still happen regardless.
Many of the topics that were covered in this week’s reading (and specifically in your blog posts) I feel are very important to consider. To answer your question about being discouraged during your teaching when so many things can be going south, I firmly believe you have to consider the small victories. My girlfriend is a first-year second grade bilingual teacher and I am seeing firsthand how discouraging it can be having to deal with a barrage of obstacles, and the toll it take on your good intentions as teachers. I see the frustration and feeling of helplessness in her, but I try to consistently remind her to focus more so on the small victories and the “good days”. As teachers we need to focus on that successful class activity, great response on a worksheet, or that math pop quiz which almost everyone aced. I feel that is really what we must do as teachers. We must learn to take those small victories and use this positive energy when trying to tackle these difficult challenges, not the other way around. If we dwell on the negative, this leaves little room to appreciate or even recognize how our teaching is really making a difference in the lives of our students.
ReplyDeleteHey Maggie,
ReplyDeleteHome visits almost sound out of the question for CPS. I've never heard of teachers actually going out there. Calling home all the time, sure, but showing up at the door? That's a new concept. I don't think there's a way to avoid becoming discouraged. We're all going to have those bad days where you get nothing from your kids -- my 4th period had a terrible day last Monday. What's important though, is that we find ways to bounce back from it. We're all here for a reason, and I think we need to keep that on our minds when times seem difficult. Focus on the small things. There's a student in my 3rd period who gives my mentor teacher and me a hug before and after every class. She even made a painting of the skyline for my teacher! Whether it's something as material as student art, or it's something like finally hitting a breakthrough with that one problem kid in the back, it's something that can get you through until the next problem period.
Maggie, there is a lot of truth in your post and you are definitely asking difficult questions to consider. I believe there is no way to avoid or prepare for getting discouraged when met with students who are either struggling as learners or in their home life unless we shut ourselves off and stop caring. However, at the moment that we stop caring, we stop being good teachers. Instead of trying to avoid the discouragement and frustration, we should use that to drive ourselves to be ever improving and finding new ways to differentiate learning. I agree with Edgar's comment when he states that we need to focus on the positive things we have done in class and the success that the class has had. Draw upon that and then focus on how we can create more positive experiences for our students when faced with the negative emotions that difficult challenges can bring.
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie ;-)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I think the truth to all of your questions posed at the end of your post: How do we avoid not becoming discouraged?
What is enough?
How can we prepare for things like overcrowded classrooms? Lack of resources? Little to no say in decisions made by the school?
--is that we cannot prepare for all such things, nothing will ever be enough and we will absolutely become discouraged. :) However, that does not mean we should despair. The field we are going into poses endless challenges to us as teachers, yet I assume that most of our challenges do not even compare to the challenges many of our students face. I think we have to go in to our classrooms fiercely. We have to know it is going to be really really tough! We're going to feel exhausted, overwhelmed, like we can't understand our students as much as we want. That's even more reason to keep trying harder. All we can do is put our best effort forth each day, learn as much from our students as we can and continue to grow and hopefully at the end of each school year, we can say that we are sure we inspired some, and only hope to inspire more in the years to come!
Hey Maggie,
ReplyDeleteHere are the answers to the questions you posted:
1. Avoiding becoming discouraged is something that I think teachers need to continually work on throughout their career. I have seen many teachers (mostly those at the end of their career, but not all) that are terrible at teaching because they have burned out, either by the administration, the system, or the students themselves. As a teacher, I think that you need to keep in mind what you enjoy about teaching, and return to that whenever you get discouraged. If you can't find anything you enjoy, then perhaps it is time to change up how you do things, but not leave the classroom altogether.
In regards to what is enough, I am assuming you are asking about how you know when you have put enough effort into your students, and I think the answer is a combination of what they need, and what you as the teacher are able to give. We are all human, and there is a limit to what you can give. It might be different for each classroom and for each student, but it is something to be aware of, and something to be managed.
As far as prepping for dealing with administration and lack of resources, I think it is a matter of being flexible, and adaptable to whatever comes your way. Adapt and overcome!
Home visits are something that I had not really considered before coming into this program, but I can see how they might be beneficial to the students that are most in need. They would need to be carefully orchestrated, but if properly carried out, could be greatly beneficial.
Flexibility is the key to victory! Great post.
Hi Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI also liked chapter 15 very much. I can relate to the teacher’s optimistic goals. However, I am also conscious of the challenges of choosing to teach in an urban setting. To answer your question, I think that home visits are beneficial for getting to know our students even more. I think home visits would be going the extra mile for our students and they might not always turn out to be what we expect. In some cultures, people do not feel comfortable having visitors over. We might also find ourselves forced to report what we observe during our visits and that might put us in an uncomfortable spot. So we must be prepare for those situations. Nonetheless, I truly believe that if a struggling student feels that their teacher really cares about them on a personal level then he/she might feel more comfortable investing in their education and developing a good relationship in the classroom.
I think as educators, our attitude best effects how strong we are. Having an optimistic attitude not only keeps us uplifted, but motivates the students as well. When students see or feel you are discouraged or have given up on them, they will reciprocate to that attitude. We have to show them that we believe in them and their potential and that we will not give up on them. Maybe this is a little naive to say, since I’ve yet to experience teaching, but in essence I want to keep an upbeat attitude for myself and the students.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when it comes to lack of resources, I have seen many teachers pull out from their own wallet and adjust as best they can. For instance, my cooperating teacher stated how her class lacked any sort of decoration to liven up the room. She stated how a lot of times, you don’t even have to spend money, but think about free resources that can be used in the classroom. She found this font website and used the fun fonts as headers for the classroom to place student works and boarded them with sample paint color cards from Home Depot. Also, she had many sticky notes lying around the house, which she brought to be used in the classroom.
Hey Maggie!
ReplyDeleteI believe that in order to be a teacher, you must be the type of person who doesn't get discouraged easily. As teachers, we will face many hardships. I see the hardships that my mentor teacher faces now. It's not easy. So, I think the question that you should be asking instead of "how can we prevent being discouraged?" is "what can we remind ourselves as to why we wanted to teach in the first place?". It's important to remind ourselves why we love to teach and the positive experiences that we've had along the way. When you have those bad days, weeks, months, just sit down, take a deep breathe and remind yourself why you wanted to teach in the first place and think of good experiences that have been had. It will prevent discouragement and encourage you to move forward positively. When it comes to home visits, I think that is very unlikely and unheard of in CPS. Some of these students have a lot going on at home. Some might not even have a home. The best place to help a student is at school. If not, out at a neutral area, like a coffee shop to meet parents. It's important to support students and their families in what ways that we can in order to help the student improve their education, but there is a line that we need to remember that we cannot cross.
Even now, going through the English Ed program, I have moments where I get discouraged and disappointed. I remember when reading Freire and McLaren and hoping and expecting to see their ideologies put in to practice at the schools I observed, and that was not the case. I think awareness and preparedness are our best weapons against these feelings. We must continue to educate ourselves on the issues, be engaged with fellow teachers, administrators and students to understand the difficulties, and be prepared to face them head on. The more we talk with experienced teachers, and the more involved we become in the classroom, the more prepared we will be. Passion for the job will not be enough.
ReplyDeleteNice post Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI agree that most our classes have taught us the lessons we need to be good teachers already, the hard questions you ask though are when are we becoming discouraging, and how to know when is enough. For all of us that question will be different. We will need to be able to understand our classes so we can prepare for them in the best way we can, and be most effective for our students.
I agree that we all go into teaching with the best intentions and with the hopes of making a great difference, and i'm sure this is possible on some levels but we will encounter discouraging situations for sure. I think the best way to avoid becoming discouraged is to always remember why we decided to become teachers in the first place. We might be in schools were there is a lack of resources, where there are students who refuse to learn (for various reasons), and where we have little say in the decision making process of the school, but keeping in mind our end goals can be beneficial and uplifting.
ReplyDeleteI think you pose a great question. How do we not become discouraged and allow our teaching to improve year after year? I think we have to realize that there are larger forces at work that will influence our classroom. But furthermore we have to realize our role in our classrooms. I believe we need to focus our energy on what we can control and try to do it to the best of your ability. I think that we should never allow outside influences to discourage our teaching and influence our progress. However, I think by realizing that we will are possible victims of the 4 year burnout we are at a better standing than by neglecting the possibility.
ReplyDeleteI never considered home visits as an option until I read this post. In my mind, I always thought of parents coming to the school for the parent-teacher conference as the norm. I can’t say I feel too comfortable doing it either. As for becoming discouraged, there are many ways one can bounce back. One example is you can find inspirational quotes, comics, etc. for a quick morale booster. It’s not a permanent solution, but it can help you recharge and refocus. Bill Watterson, the guy who did Calvin and Hobbes, once gave some advice during a graduation speech which I've been coming back to whenever I lose my purpose. Zen Pencils did a nice comic adaptation of it which you can find here: http://zenpencils.com/comic/128-bill-watterson-a-cartoonists-advice/
ReplyDeleteI think it helps to go in as an open-minded individual knowing that the system is not perfect. Not that you should set the bar low, but that you should have reasonable expectations of what you'll have to work with-both positives and negatives of the school. Various people have mentioned remembering why we went into teaching in the first place when we start feeling discouraged-I agree. I've had a lot of jobs working with kids where I've had to deal with a lot of work--related stresses, but every time I did I thought about the kids I worked with and how much I enjoyed working with them-all of that helped me keep going. I think when and if you love something enough, it is very difficult to get discouraged.
ReplyDeleteHey Maggie,
ReplyDeleteI have done home visits for my students at the after school program that I work for, and they were great to touch base with the students I interact with so that we could talk about expectations for them over the coming school year. (Also it lets me use the line "Or would you rather me call your Mom?" Which works realllllllyy well when you have actually met the student's Mom) I have never considered it for when I become an actual teacher, the amount of time that it would take to visit 140 students or around there would be too much to overcome, but If I were ever in a situation where I had a manageable amount of students to pull it off, I would.
Honestly, Maggie, I believe that it is necessary for all teachers to seek out professional opportunities that will allow them to work in school and classroom environments in which they believe they can thrive. If, as a new teacher applying for positions, you feel as though you're ill-suited for a career in crowded, resource-strapped classrooms, you'd be wise to look for work in schools capable of offering those conditions you believe will afford you the opportunity to be successful. I mean, it's easy to become discouraged when you're working in an environment that you recognize suits you neither as an individual nor as an educator.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to speak to the discouragement teachers face when teaching. Each time I go in for observations, I feel like I'm doing something wrong in terms of connecting with my students, even when it's simple communication. That being said, I feel like we're trying to fit a mold that we're not ready for. Once we become confident in our practices, where we know what is effective within the adolescent realm, we won't see our practices so much as failures but something that needs to modified.
ReplyDeleteNice post!
Saarah Mohammed
Home visits are a very interesting concept. I, like some other writers here, was unfamiliar with this as a practice. Indeed, I even found it a little invasive…the expert knocking on your door and telling you to send your kid to counseling? This is a problematic practice in many ways. A teacher never came into my home, and indeed, I always thought that it a little odd that Miss Honey and Matilda had forged such a personal relationship, didn’t you? Hmm actually, if you’ll allow me the digression, isn’t it interesting that Miss Honey’s, let’s call it ‘invasion,’ into the lives of the Wormwoods is exacerbated when she sees the low brow family culture (game shows, ghastly things!) the gifted Matilda is forced to suffer? As any good civilizing agent would, she then invites (the child, remember) Matilda over for tea, gives her good canonical novels, and complains to her about how her inheritance has been stolen. How very British.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, with Jasmine, the opposite happens. The teacher is disabused of the notion that her mother is neglectful. And yet, she continues to intervene. Yes, this is for the good of the student….as the teacher sees it. But is there a line? If someone kept knocking on my door with cakes and spitting the same narrative of counseling over and over, despite my polite remonstrations that my daughter had declined counseling, I would eventually completely block the teacher out. Here, the mother relents. For the author, however, this is “the smallest of victories” (111). To her credit, she does get properly angered at the counselor’s cavalier suggestion that Jasmine go on medication. All hope is not lost.
When we walk into the home of a student we walk into a family sphere. We take our status, our supposedly expert opinion (is counseling ever not the answer?), and our cultural values into the space of another. I do think that forging relationships with families and with students makes us better teachers. Home visits for the express purpose of pushing bourgeois notions of how to “achieve” mental “health?” Decidedly not something I would do.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOn the home front, I've also never heard of CPS teachers visiting homes. I certainly don't think I would be comfortable visiting a student's home and, even though teachers increasingly take on the role of counselors as we discussed in class, I'd gladly help lobby for for counselors to preform home visits so I don't need to. I'm surprised Jasmine's mother allowed her teacher to visit their apartment so often and that her mother endured the teacher's suggestions and impositions... my guess is that many other parents would not want their student's teacher prescribing medication to their children! I do appreciate Lina's efforts as it sometimes takes extra endeavors to reach struggling students... her reminder to Jasmine "you are lovely" seems to have made a tremendous impact... I'm just not sure if I'm bold enough to enter the "family sphere" of the student and dictate what familial changes are to be made. Teaching is certainly a creation of values, and it is important to make personal connections to students' lives, but I don't think I would make the same interventions Lisa Espinosa made.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading your blog the one thing that stands out to me is when you asked the question on how to best avoid becoming discouraged teachers. The only thing that came to my mind was the idea of job burnout and how to prevent this from happening to us. Since I work in the medical field I know of many nurses that have quit within two years of working as a nurse all due to the fact that they cannot deal with the stress that comes with the job. The only nurses that do survive are the ones that can think on their feet, go with the flow, and not take on everything at once. This I feel applies to all jobs. If, for example, you are teaching in a school that has limited resources and a overcrowded classroom. This does not mean you should be discouraged to teach instead you should adapt. Instead of relying on teaching on a smart board or using some other kind of technology you can teach just by writing on a chalk board, speaking to the students, or putting them into groups to discuss topics.
ReplyDelete