Teachers - Let Them Teach
This is not a political diatribe on testing, but an ode to teachers and the lifelong impact they have on our lives. As you read this, think about whether or not teachers can have this kind of impact on children if they are spending their time in test prep and test delivery.
I had five teachers/professors in my life that had a major lifelong impact on me. One in elementary school, one in high school and three in college.
In elementary school, my 3rd and 4th grade teacher was Ms. Randolph. She taught at Fremont Elementary in Cupertino, California. She took a personal interest in me. I remember her encouragement when I struggled with penmanship. She made me want to practice and practice so that I could please her with my improvement. She knew me so well that I was cast as the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland in the class play because I rolled my eyes a lot. At the end of the year she showed me a handwriting sample from the first day and a sample from the last day so that I could see how far I had come and that practice was worth it. If she were focused on test prep, would she know any of her students half so well.
In high school, I had Mr. Rahn Andersen. He taught at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, CO. I took probably 4 of his classes. In the first class I ever took with him, we were given a creative writing assignment. I wrote a true story about abuse. I received a C with a note about it being implausible. I gave it back to him and asked him to grade it as though it were true. The next day I had a 3 page hand written letter on this thoughts on the matter and a simple statement at the end that said it's impossible to grade truth. I worshipped him after that. I took him for an American Literature class. It was a college-type class in that we read novels and then sat around discussing them. You were graded on your participation and knowledge of the material. I suggested he add The Handmaid's Tale to the syllabus. He laughed and said, "your classmates can't handle The Handmaid's Tale." He was right, and I loved that he shared that with me. In another class, we had to write a research paper on an author. I chose Tom Robbins. He was so excited by that choice that he helped me with my research. He gave me the courage to be me.
In college, I had a professor who challenged me like no other. His name was Dr. Jeff Franklin and he teaches at the University of Colorado at Denver. He is in the English Department. I took 4 or 5 classes with him. I wrote and rewrote papers and had one-on-one conferences with him on how to make each paper an A. I rewrote A- papers, because I wanted to graduate with a 4.0. He helped me become a better a writer, a better questioner, a more critical reader. He taught me not to take anything at face value. There were two to three papers that I got an A on the first go and those were happy days indeed.
I had two more professors who helped me with my Latin Honors project. They were Dr. Gillian Silverman and Teague von Bohlen. They met with me about a week into the project. I brought in my 90 page rough draft and a 3" notebook full of research. They read the rough draft, gave me some notes and then didn't see me again until the end of the semester to give me a grade. So how were they helpful? Because they showed me that by the end of my college career I didn't really need their help. They were certainly there if I needed them, but it was time for me to complete this on my own. I received Summa Cum Laude in a coffee shop. I sat between these two mentors with my manuscript on the table, coffee at hand, as they matter of factly announced that I achieved the highest level of Latin honors all by myself. What a boost to my self-confidence.
My children also have amazing teachers. Prima and Segunda have both been taught by the amazing Ms. Rachel. She manages to turn 2 year olds into human beings with manners. If you walk into her classroom at snacktime or mealtime, every child is sitting quietly at the table, eating and drinking and chit-chatting with their neighbor. They even scoop out their own food onto their plate. 2 year olds scoop out their own food. What the what? And in Segunda's case, she pushes and encourages her to walk and use her hands. Nothing slows that child down and Ms. Rachel makes sure of it.
Prima had a teacher when she was 3 1/2 - 4 named Ms. Kara in the same preschool. Ms. Kara has this wonderful calming atmosphere in her classroom. She holds children captivated at story time and encourages children to bring in their favorite books to share with the class. She helps children learn how to make social decisions and what the consequences of those decisions might be. I often sat in the classroom at pick up time during story time because Prima was so captivated I felt no need to hurry her out the door.
Prima's pre-K teacher was Ms. Nicole whom she still gets to see every morning at Before Care. Ms. Nicole helped her navigate a friendship minefield, in which Prima felt trapped and almost captive by a friend. Ms. Nicole helped her with one-on-one conversations about choices and that it is okay to play with others and to say "no thank you" if that friend is smothering. She gave her the confidence she needed to head into Kindergarten and successfully make new friendships that were not poisonous. She learned from Ms. Nicole that she doesn't have to play with people just because they are insistent. That level of confidence was hard fought and won through the help of Ms. Nicole.
Prima's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Giese, had a rough job. She had 30 children to teach. And yet somehow she still managed to get to know each child. She knew about Prima's insatiable curiosity and did her level best to answer all of her questions. Sometimes she had to ask her to put her questions on hold while she taught everyone else, but she did it such a way that Prima didn't feel stifled. She still asks questions and doesn't take "I don't know" for an answer. I'm amazed that Mrs. Giese didn't stifle her because she can be overwhelming and with 30 children, I don't know how she didn't feel overwhelmed from time to time. Prima came out of kindergarten a stronger reader, speller, mathematician, problem solver, and eager for First Grade.
To teachers everywhere ... thank you for caring about your students, especially the tough ones. You make our lives richer, you develop our critical thinking skills, you turn us into problem solvers, you encourage us to ask questions and eschew the status quo. In short, you turn us into thinking adults. That's pretty amazing.
I had five teachers/professors in my life that had a major lifelong impact on me. One in elementary school, one in high school and three in college.
In elementary school, my 3rd and 4th grade teacher was Ms. Randolph. She taught at Fremont Elementary in Cupertino, California. She took a personal interest in me. I remember her encouragement when I struggled with penmanship. She made me want to practice and practice so that I could please her with my improvement. She knew me so well that I was cast as the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland in the class play because I rolled my eyes a lot. At the end of the year she showed me a handwriting sample from the first day and a sample from the last day so that I could see how far I had come and that practice was worth it. If she were focused on test prep, would she know any of her students half so well.
In high school, I had Mr. Rahn Andersen. He taught at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, CO. I took probably 4 of his classes. In the first class I ever took with him, we were given a creative writing assignment. I wrote a true story about abuse. I received a C with a note about it being implausible. I gave it back to him and asked him to grade it as though it were true. The next day I had a 3 page hand written letter on this thoughts on the matter and a simple statement at the end that said it's impossible to grade truth. I worshipped him after that. I took him for an American Literature class. It was a college-type class in that we read novels and then sat around discussing them. You were graded on your participation and knowledge of the material. I suggested he add The Handmaid's Tale to the syllabus. He laughed and said, "your classmates can't handle The Handmaid's Tale." He was right, and I loved that he shared that with me. In another class, we had to write a research paper on an author. I chose Tom Robbins. He was so excited by that choice that he helped me with my research. He gave me the courage to be me.
In college, I had a professor who challenged me like no other. His name was Dr. Jeff Franklin and he teaches at the University of Colorado at Denver. He is in the English Department. I took 4 or 5 classes with him. I wrote and rewrote papers and had one-on-one conferences with him on how to make each paper an A. I rewrote A- papers, because I wanted to graduate with a 4.0. He helped me become a better a writer, a better questioner, a more critical reader. He taught me not to take anything at face value. There were two to three papers that I got an A on the first go and those were happy days indeed.
I had two more professors who helped me with my Latin Honors project. They were Dr. Gillian Silverman and Teague von Bohlen. They met with me about a week into the project. I brought in my 90 page rough draft and a 3" notebook full of research. They read the rough draft, gave me some notes and then didn't see me again until the end of the semester to give me a grade. So how were they helpful? Because they showed me that by the end of my college career I didn't really need their help. They were certainly there if I needed them, but it was time for me to complete this on my own. I received Summa Cum Laude in a coffee shop. I sat between these two mentors with my manuscript on the table, coffee at hand, as they matter of factly announced that I achieved the highest level of Latin honors all by myself. What a boost to my self-confidence.
My children also have amazing teachers. Prima and Segunda have both been taught by the amazing Ms. Rachel. She manages to turn 2 year olds into human beings with manners. If you walk into her classroom at snacktime or mealtime, every child is sitting quietly at the table, eating and drinking and chit-chatting with their neighbor. They even scoop out their own food onto their plate. 2 year olds scoop out their own food. What the what? And in Segunda's case, she pushes and encourages her to walk and use her hands. Nothing slows that child down and Ms. Rachel makes sure of it.
Prima had a teacher when she was 3 1/2 - 4 named Ms. Kara in the same preschool. Ms. Kara has this wonderful calming atmosphere in her classroom. She holds children captivated at story time and encourages children to bring in their favorite books to share with the class. She helps children learn how to make social decisions and what the consequences of those decisions might be. I often sat in the classroom at pick up time during story time because Prima was so captivated I felt no need to hurry her out the door.
Prima's pre-K teacher was Ms. Nicole whom she still gets to see every morning at Before Care. Ms. Nicole helped her navigate a friendship minefield, in which Prima felt trapped and almost captive by a friend. Ms. Nicole helped her with one-on-one conversations about choices and that it is okay to play with others and to say "no thank you" if that friend is smothering. She gave her the confidence she needed to head into Kindergarten and successfully make new friendships that were not poisonous. She learned from Ms. Nicole that she doesn't have to play with people just because they are insistent. That level of confidence was hard fought and won through the help of Ms. Nicole.
Prima's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Giese, had a rough job. She had 30 children to teach. And yet somehow she still managed to get to know each child. She knew about Prima's insatiable curiosity and did her level best to answer all of her questions. Sometimes she had to ask her to put her questions on hold while she taught everyone else, but she did it such a way that Prima didn't feel stifled. She still asks questions and doesn't take "I don't know" for an answer. I'm amazed that Mrs. Giese didn't stifle her because she can be overwhelming and with 30 children, I don't know how she didn't feel overwhelmed from time to time. Prima came out of kindergarten a stronger reader, speller, mathematician, problem solver, and eager for First Grade.
To teachers everywhere ... thank you for caring about your students, especially the tough ones. You make our lives richer, you develop our critical thinking skills, you turn us into problem solvers, you encourage us to ask questions and eschew the status quo. In short, you turn us into thinking adults. That's pretty amazing.
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