CAROLYN
BEITZEL
Final Diary
#31
A
Year of Challenge and Growth
I have almost
completed my second year teaching.
Wow. That is quite a sentence! After the experience I had last year as
a rookie teacher, I was not sure then I would ever utter that sentence.
This year, however, has been completely different—from teachers and
students all the way to administration.
Administration
At the beginning of the year we heard about the FISH philosophy (diary
#1). I have tried to keep the four Essential Creative Principles of
this philosophy at the back of my mind as I worked through my day: Be
There, Play, Make Their Day, and Choose My Attitude. I think it has helped
me tremendously to focus myself when times were tough or when I struggled
with a student, parent, another teacher or a principal.
The building
atmosphere would have been even better had the entire staff, including
administration, gotten onboard (pardon the pun) with FISH! Instead it
became just another "support" to teachers that was not really supported.
Therein lies the tragedy of our school atmosphere. A lot of good ideas
are bandied about but very few are actually implemented fully. Lack of
funds and personal/professional drive are the key culprits.
For example, I am very interested in literacy in my content area (social
studies). The school district is very interested in raising literacy scores
on the state standardized tests. The directive has been to increase reading
in the classroom. Okay, great, we are on the same page. But not really.
Again, teachers are being told to do something and are not being given
the tools to succeed.
I asked to
attend a conference in Philadelphia (a city less than 5 minutes from our
schoo—no overnight hotel, no transportation costs, only the tuition).
This conference has numerous seminars that would correlate with my professional
development in reading strategies. I was told there was no money to send
me. I have asked for reading strategy books and workbooks for my classroom
next year and was told there is no money in the social studies curriculum
budget. I have volunteered to write informational text passages, create
test and essay questions that could be used in the social studies classroom
that mirror the standardized test. I have been told what a great idea
this is. I have yet been given the go-ahead to do it.
I have the personal drive to continue to learn. I have the professional
drive to make my school a better learning environment for the students.
I do not have unlimited personal funds to reach my goals. I expect my
district to take up this financial slack. They say they cannot. This is
just one example of where the district, school and teacher goals meet
and then divide.
Changing school culture takes an enormous commitment and I don't see that
happening until the majority of teachers take a stand against the problems
we face, and against the directives we are given without support. Too
many, however, feel threatened by a lack of professional security in their
jobs, feel ignored by an administration that is putting out fires everyday
and feel put upon by other professionals who don't pull their weight.
Our superintendent's
favorite saying when he closes a speech is "My bags are packed for you,"
meaning he is there for us. I am saddened to report, that on a day to
day basis, I have not seen him or his suitcase helping me out in my classroom.
I do know that his bags have been to our state capitol on a few occasions.
So he is fighting the good fight, just not so close to home.
Our new assistant principal has taken on some great initiatives that I
hope continue to progress, including an anti-bullying initiative and a
Parent Appreciation program. When teachers see change happening from the
top it is easier to become more involved.
Teachers
This second year teaching would not have been such a good experience without
the three other teachers I work with on a daily basis. They need to be
recognized for their dedication to our students by seeing that the key
to success is consistency among the adults these students interact with
each and every day.
In the beginning of the year, I was placed on what I thought was the "Dream
Team" an experienced teacher would lead us onward. Alas, a week before
school started, this teacher found a position closer to home and left
us in the dust (she is actually doing great and I for one am quite proud
of her accomplishments). The "Dream Team" idea survived when the principal
gave us his support and confidence. Two almost-new teachers and two brand
new teachers banded together to form the Justice Team. We worked out a
team discipline plan and a team etiquette plan. Many of our classroom
procedures were the same. Expectations were similar so the students could
not say "but so and so lets us do it in his/her classroom." We made consistency
a high priority. We led team meetings bi-weekly to reinforce rules and
procedures, to let them know we were proud of their actions or disappointed
in their behavior. We wanted to develop a community of learners, who would
take care of each other and respect each other.
On the whole, I think we accomplished that.
Lauren Selim, the first year science teacher on our team, has developed
relationships with so many of our students. She has a group of kids that
eat lunch in her room everyday. She gives up her lunch period voluntarily
to be with them. I don't think the kids realize what a personal sacrifice
it is to not be able to leave your room during lunch. I realize it. She
has coached cheerleading and girls' field hockey this year as well. Even
though these positions are compensated (not going to make her rich) it
is still quite a bit of time taken away from her personal life and then
that time has to be made up for her professional duties later in the day.
I am in awe of her all the time. I figure I am the twelve grain bread
(no boring white for me) who holds us all together and she is the jelly.
Let me tell you about the peanut butter.
Tara Malloy, a first year language arts teacher. A strong minded individual.
We need that. It sets an example for the students. I see strength of character
in Tara that I wish I had. I can be a bit assertive and sometimes that
can be seen as negative. She compliments my style of teaching and discipline
management. She is fair in her dealings with students and as the year
progressed I saw how students were coming to respect her. Not only were
we able to be on the same page in team issues but we were also able to
collaborate on curriculum as well. Next year we are planning to take it
a step further and teach one and maybe two interdisciplinary units.
To make a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich even better what can you
add? What is that extra something that will put it over the top? Let's
add marshmallow fluff. That would be my co-team leader, Mike Krieg (he
is probably cringing with this analogy). Physically, he is far from the
idea of a marshmallow. Intellectually he is anything but fluff. But he
adds that extra something that saves us all from being mundane. This man
was my professional life line last year and this year he has become my
closest ally.
Mike Krieg teaches more than math to his students. He teaches respect
and tolerance, humor and acceptance. Where he is they want to be.
This year has run smoothly because of the people I get the honor to work
with everyday. It has also been a good year because of the kids I teach.
Students
Many of you who have read my diaries know about the low level class I
teach. In the beginning of the year they gave me the most headaches and
frustration because I just did not feel I was being effective with them.
I would try strategy after strategy. I would read books. I would query other teachers. Nothing seemed to be working for me. Then it dawned on me that I was asking too much of them. I wanted them to reach way beyond their means. No one had ever asked this of them before and they just did not know how to think and learn. They did not own the skills to begin this level of learning. So I started at the ground level and have worked my way up slowly.
When I introduced a new way of thinking we always did it together as a class, several times if that is what it took. Then they worked with partners and finally alone until they felt comfortable with their mastery. Not me, but them. That is the biggest lesson I learned this year. This class taught me that yes, I can have high expectations, but I cannot ask more of students then they are capable of giving. I can teach them how to step up their learning, but it has to be at their pace.
I did not
lower my expectations. I did not "dumb down" their curriculum. They learned
analyzing skills along with the other classes I taught. I have been so
proud of how they have acted along the way. I am awed by how great the
lesson is they gave to me.
My Hope For Next Year
As this year ends and I await the assignment for next year, I can only
hope that administration will keep our team intact. We have been able
to show them that new teachers can be even more effective when they work
as a true team. I would like our leadership to be of value to the school
climate in which I work.
I still want to involve more parents in their child's learning process.
I will keep asking parents to come in, and I will make my classroom inviting
to them. Our school is also starting a Parent Reward system that hopefully
will show other parents that it doesn't take that much effort to support
your child's education.
I have learned many lessons this year, from teachers, from students and
from administration. They are now in my packed bag, ready to be
brought forth and utilized for learning.
