Teacher's Aid: "I Don't..."

This month I am doing a sermon series called "I Don't" couched around the concept of marriage.  Oftentimes, you will hear the phrase “I Do” at a wedding, so we’re used to that, but not “I Don’t”.    Examples are: “I Don’t Want Anyone Else” and “I Don’t Want You to Be Unprotected”.

As I have that on my mind, I thought about taking this into another realm, on of educators.  So, I have come up with a few “I Don’t” phrases for you to consider as you transform young minds…

I Don’t…Know All the Answers     ...Want to Give Up    ...Think You Can’t Do It     ...Want to Prejudge Students

You’ve went to school, you’ve experienced life, and you may have taught for a good while, but should you know all the answers?  Have you ever given an answer that you actually didn’t know?  I have.  However, there have been times that I’ve had to swallow my pride and say “I don’t know”.  You don’t look unknowledgeable, even thought you may feel it.  Rather, you appear real.  No human can know all the answers, even if it is in your field.  Try it sometime, don’t let pride get in the way.

I think all teachers, administrators, and staff have those days where they just want to pull their hair out.  Or those times in your life when you can’t wait for the school year to be over so you can  interview for another job. You are hoping to find a better place.  You rarely will.  You have the        opportunity to transform many lives in the place where you are teaching.  Don’t give up and keep on making a difference to the many kids you see each year!

Sometimes it is easier to give advice than to take it.  You may be compromising your values when you want to throw in the towel, but you try to tell kids not to give up. Each student has their   different needs and you have the opportunity to bring out the best in each child, even when they want to give up on themselves or say “I can’t”.  Maybe they cannot accomplish something right now, but they might be able to build up to accomplishing that feat in the future.  You’re belief in that child can make a world of difference.  The movie “The Ron Clark Story” comes to mind...great show!

I don’t know if it is true or not when I hear it, but I hate hearing students say that a teacher “hates” them.  I know the teacher never said that to them, but it is the student’s belief. It could be for a number of reasons.  Sometimes it may be because a teacher is creating boundaries that the student is crossing and the student doesn’t like the consequences.  However, if one, after looking at a student, decides to dismiss their learning abilities based on how they dress or carry themselves, then that can lead to bigger  problems.  May you see each as individuals, coming from different backgrounds, and different circumstances, even daily and help transform that young mind the best way you know how.

Pledge to say “I Don’t” this month as you continue on in your pursuit to transform young minds.

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Substituting...Quite the Experiences

Most of you know that I have had the privilege, yes, privilege, of being able to be a substitute teach in the local schools. Practically all the time, it is in the high school. Being there frequently has allowed the kids to get to know me. This allows for me to have a certain sense of respect. During my time, I have not had to give anyone a detention. Part of that is due to that punishment not being that effective, in my opinion. And two, I don't resort to that until they are defying me. Occasional talking, I can handle. Being defiant, I can't.

I think, in the two and a half years that I have been doing this, I have filled in for almost every teacher. The only one I can think of that I haven't filled in for is the driver's ed teacher. This has allowed me to be in a variety of classrooms. Each classroom brings its own sense of challenges.

Last week, I was in the band room. I didn't have to do anything musically with them, but their freedom brought boredom and boredom brings trouble. The school has a cell phone policy. I was never told about what the policy actually is, so I have my own. It is based on me catching them and their honesty. During that period of forty-four minutes I confiscated three cell phones! Kids trying to text because the were bored! In the middle of the week I caught two, in another class. The first one gave up without a problem. The second one didn't want to give up his phone too easily. I asked for it, and he said "no". We visited, but he still wouldn't give it up. I gave him until the end of the hour (about 6 minutes) to decide if he was going to give it up or not. I even started to write a detention slip, and at that point, he gave it up. I drew the line, and he had to decide which side he was going to be on. That is a "secret" to my success, giving students a choice and then sticking with it.

I also do the same with the class, as a whole. Depending on the situation, they have the choice, as a class, to behave or not. Sometimes they want to go to lunch early or they have to read the entire class period. In these two cases, I will put up numbers from highest to zero. These numbers represent how early they can go to lunch or how much free time they have after reading. I tell them that they've already been given a warning. Then, if even one student is not doing what they are supposed to be doing, I mark a number off. They now have less time for free time or to be able to go to lunch early. It is very effective. Kids have the choice and they take care of each other to win the reward. I don't believe in warning kids over and over. I draw the line and they have the choice of where to stand.

Subbing has given me great opportunities to make Kingdom impacts in the community. Much of the time, the community doesn't even realize it. I love to observe what kids are going through and try to help them as they go through. I like to reach out to those who probably never get reached out to. I enjoy seeing them learn. I enjoy seeing them in the community. I enjoy congratulating them on their achievements. I enjoy meeting their parents. I really have enjoyed subbing and look forward to today, when I get another chance to be in the classroom having many more experiences! I could write about so many things, but this was long enough!!!