This school year has been a very difficult one for me. I tend to reflect a LOT, so this year my head has been spinning...What else could I have done? What can I try? Who knows a better solution? Why did that happen? What can we do? And on, and on, and on. Sometimes I can't stop thinking.
As I end this year, I am thinking a lot about failures. Failures on my part, mostly. Holding on to the feeling of being beaten is not ME, though. So instead of wallowing in things I wish I'd done better, or differently, I think I should focus on some successes.
Here are some student successes I've been proud of this year. Many of them are not academic, and some might seem like very small achievements. But all of them are a result of being in my classroom this year. I was their teacher; academically, socially, emotionally. I'm proud of these little successes.
* Marisa (who had been so abused she could not focus in 1st or 2nd) learned to read at grade level.
* Richard discovered that, despite his learning disability, he can excel in math.
* Lorena learned to think beyond her own life and to have a global view.
* Ray learned to stand up to bullying, even when he had to stand alone.
* Daniel learned to hold his temper in check long enough to listen to mediation.
* Tiffany learned to prioritize coming to school, and woke herself up when she couldn't rely on mom.
* Micaela learned to not allow boys or society to push her down for being a girl.
* Jennifer learned to say no to mean girls, and to develop healthy friendships.
* Alex learned to think his way through a chapter book.
* Lenny learned to use humor to contribute to class, instead of derailing it.
* Jenny learned how to help others help themselves.
* William learned to not rely on his mom to take care of everything.
* Maria began to listen to her conscience, and stopped stealing.
* Jorge learned to give his best effort, and that it could pay off.
* Martin learned to be smart about being smart.
* Cassandra learned that being smart and getting A's doesn't always mean an easy ride.
* Shilah learned that doing homework helps you learn.
* Brandon learned to go through the entire writing process on his own.
* Jasmine learned to trust her instincts and set goals that are not beneath her.
* Adrianna made 2 years of reading growth.
* Ivan learned to make insightful comments that are relevant.
* Patrick learned to take deep breaths to hold his temper (sometimes) and the value of a sincere apology.
* Becca learned that people who struggle with reading are not always laughed at.
* Anibal learned that getting As feels really good.
And me? What did I learn? I learned that I am an extremely good teacher, I have great ideas and instincts, and my students were better for having been in my class.
I
need to learn that my value can not be qualified by numbers and percentages and bar graphs. I'm working on it!
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