Mainely Middle
Journal of the Maine Association for Middle
Level Education
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2003/2004 |
Things I Learned Returning to Middle School1. Pencils, pencils, pencils, and maybe a pen. Nearly every student is going to ask me for a pen or pencil at some point during the year. Some even ask daily. I cannot fathom how a student can come in with a new box of pencils on Monday, but by Wednesday they are gone. So, have pencils will travel. Oh, and of course, the green pen is for me.
2. Throwing up is not necessarily a bad thing. I threw up on my first field trip. Rookie mistake, no doubt. To my great relief, not one kid ever said a word. I was surprised to learn that sometimes the things that you think will certainly haunt you for the rest of the school year do not necessarily matter. I also learned that it is a good idea to sit near the front of the bus.
3. You take what you can get. I will admit I do get a little rush of pleasure when one of my middle school students says, "That is a great outfit you have on today." However, the real rush is when my students thank me for my help &emdash; but that does not happen often. So I have come to treasure what few pearls they let slip, remembering that sometimes it is not cool to thank an adult, especially a teacher.
4. Get a life? I have one! I was really nervous at first about having my students see me at a hockey game at the University of Maine. Would I be displaying proper middle level philosophy if I let out one small screech about whether or not that was really a hooking call? Would I have to agree with all of the officals' calls? What would John Lounsbury say? Naturally, I cringed the first time a student said "Did I see you at the hockey game this weekend?" When I admitted that yes, he had, his response was "It's nice to see you have a life." Another student nearby chimed in, "Even teachers have to let their hair down occasionally."
5. Small victories My first teaching job has been a long-term substitute position in Special Education. I consider it one of the greatest gifts that I have ever been given. My students have taught me to appreciate that sometimes the smallest victories are the most significant, if not the most poignant. I will become a better teacher because of this first year's experience. I will never forget these kids or the gifts they have given me.
6. Be yourself It did not take me long to realize that I am not Mrs. Soule, I am not Mrs. Giffin, and I am not Mr. Given. I am Shana Goodall. While I can learn from these outstanding teachers and adopt from them the qualities that I admire, ultimately I am developing my own, unique teaching style. And I know that that this is not something that will happen in one year, or even two years. How I define myself and my approach to education will be a career-long adventure.
7. Laughter is key One of the greatest compliments this year was from a student who simply said, "I love your laugh and how you laugh." I know for a fact that I could not be successful at what I do without laughter in my classroom. A smile will go a long way to brighten a day and banish frustrations, and a shared laugh can forge new connections.
8. Friday ice cream The week before I left my small hometown to start my graduate work in education, three of my former teachers took me out for ice cream. As I found out, they were including me in their long-standing tradition of Friday ice cream. Fostering traditions can help bring order to the sometimes chaos of teaching, especially with chocolate Moose Tracks with sprinkles and a friend to talk it over with on a Friday afternoon.
9. These shoes were made for walking Nobody will deny that teaching can be a stressful occupation. For me there is no better way to cope with the daily stress than to walk it off. In the quiet first light of the day, my neighborhood comes alive with the beautiful sound of the birds singing while the river shines as a mirror of the sky. I use this time to energize my body and clear my mind in preparation for what is to come. In the afternoon or evenings, I enjoy walking with friends to relax and leave the day behind. Walking helps to put everything into perspective.
10. Trust and believe Sometimes things do not work out the way that you want them to. I have learned to trust and believe that eventually things all work out for the best. Even when it seems like nothing is working or the desired results will not arise, I remind myself to hang on. Middle schoolers impress me with their willingness to keep working every day even when the odds seem insurmountable, so I rightfully draw my inspiration from them.
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