Picture this… you're four years into your college degree with only a year left, and you plan to switch out of education and solely into communications. Then you receive your final practicum placements - the middle school you grew up in and a classroom where you loved your field experience. I choose to "stick it out" because I figured the degree could be used elsewhere.
Two weeks into my student teaching, I knew fate played its part. I was hooked. Yet, I owe this all to my mentor teacher. I believed education was about only giving students curriculum and handing out grades based on their ability and knowledge of said content. I was so wrong….
My mentor teacher taught me this - student first, content second. It's the relationships and the bond that you build with each student. Content comes along the way. As a teacher, I stand that my job is only done if that relationship is prevalent, and the students walk out of my room knowing they have the ability to do anything they set their mind to, and that I stand behind and support them, knowing math is just the icing on the cake.
With that, in just about ten weeks, I will be wrapping up my first year of teaching, and I learned as much, if not more, than my students did. So here are eight things that I learned in 8th grade.
1. There is no such thing as failure.
You grow through each process. It is truly about the journey and not the destination. What may be considered a "failure" is just an opportunity to learn.
2. Be patient, very patient.
You will redirect tons of times, be interrupted constantly, and have to re-explain something time after time, but if I learned anything this year, you could never be prepared for what may happen. So be patient and keep moving forward.
3. Enjoy EVERY moment.
Last week during work time, our voices all finally fell to silence as we worked through graphing functions. All engaged, writing away, and some humming the quiet Taylor Swift music that played during our Taylor Tuesday. I sat propped up on a desk, cold press from caribou in hand, and just realized how lucky I am - to be here with all of these kiddos in this school, knowing that I made an impact on their lives in some way, shape, or form. I couldn't help but sit back and take it in.
4. It's okay to do something different. It's okay to make things "fun."
I was scared to stray from the crowd or what other teachers were doing. Today I rarely yet do, but when I do, I always find I grow as an educator, even if the lesson fails horribly. Additionally, I've learned you can be, or at least try to be, the "cool" teacher - from my silly sayings to the joke of the day, I've learned it's more fun to make learning fun!
5. Make a big deal out of the little things.
Everyone's "100%" looks different. Some will complete the entire assignment in a few minutes. Some will finish one problem in the remainder of an hour. Some accomplishments might be as simple as showing up to school that day. Whatever it is, celebrate it all, and be the biggest cheerleader possible for others.
6. Person first, content second.
Math, and any subject for that matter will come, but students need to know you care about them as an individual first. Once that relationship is developed, they will invest more in your content. Learning isn't just about curriculum, it's a process of growing and becoming the best version of yourself.
7. Make friends with those around you.
I never imagined having co-workers I liked so much. Some have become my closest friends, gym partners, co-teachers, mentors, and so much more. There is no other group of people who have supported me so much in all I do, not even just in the classroom but far beyond it.
8. Be the person for others you once needed yourself.
In the middle of the lesson….yes, mid-solving of an inequality, I had a student pull out a toy car. He told me what it was and how he got it—then repeated to do the same with not one, not two, but twelve more. Take the time, listen to the story, and validate the importance of things that set others souls on fire. While this took away a few minutes of the lesson, the fact that this student knew not only the whole class but I cared to listen to him and engage in what he had to share was far more important than solving any inequality ever will be. Be the person that others need.
Anyways, as I prepare for this year to come to a close, I really could not ask for anything more. I love what I do, and I know the impact I am able to make goes far beyond teaching a child how to solve an equation. Faribault Middle School, you have my heart & students, thank you for allowing me to be your teacher.
- Ms.Kotek
