I realize as I look back over this past
month that I focused a lot on relationships both with my students and with their
parents. I was able to really build stronger relationships with both
parents and students of my class. I feel as though I was really able to make
some strong headway with certain parents that things were previously not going
well with and I was able to celebrate making major breakthroughs with certain
students that have been really struggling with throughout the year. Being able to break though and have multiple
successful days with Jamari is a huge success for me, as well as really feeling
as though parent relationships and involvement is taking a positive turn rather
than a negative, accusatory turn. I also
really focused on working with my students and meeting them where they needed
to be met rather than trying to force something on them that I knew in the end
wouldn’t work anyway. I feel as though I
was really able to see what was working and what was not working and create a
plan that worked for my students.
I feel as though I have gotten much better
at becoming a responsive teacher and really trying to stick with trying new
things and working on things until a solution is found rather than just simply
giving up. Again this comes back to me seriously asking the question - who are you? I am also really happy that these parent relationships that I
have been trying to foster and grow are finally coming around. I realize that
things do not happen overnight and that it takes time for things to change.
Our action research class has really allowed
me to focus in on what my students needs are and think about different ways to
go about bringing my students and my student’s parents to a more positive
place. Our class with Dr. K last spring has also helped me because it
has given me the opportunity to really see behind the scenes with my student’s
parents and realize that culture plays a big part in the classroom and what my
students experience outside the four walls of my classroom greatly impacts how
they are within the four wall of my classroom.
I realize that things take time and you don’t
really get to know someone overnight. I also have to remind myself that
people see things from different perspectives and how I am interpreting something
may be very different from how someone else is interpreting something. It is
these differences that help make us who we are and allow us to be passionate
about things in different ways.
I want to really allow freedom with my
students – freedom for them to do things that matter to them, freedom
to be themselves and the freedom for them to determine what kind of impression
they want to leave behind when they move on next year. I want to apply that to
working with my student’s parents too to some extent. I want them to be
advocates for their child in what their child wants rather than advocates for
themselves as parents trying to make a point about something.
So I ask the question - who are you?
Wow, what an inspirational post! This really touched me because this is something that I have been thinking about for awhile. I personally struggle with accepting who I am and welcoming myself in my classroom and therefore I struggle accepting my students. This was a good reminder about what truly matters and how the identity work that we do matters more than any of the other stuff that we worry about.
ReplyDeleteI would love to talk to you more about the ideas that you have used to improve your relationships with your parents and your students. I am thinking about ways to do that, too, especially because I have 2 new students and the dynamic of my class has changed a little bit. You always have great ideas so I'm looking forward to discussing those with you.
Thank you for the inspiration and the reminder to reflect and accept. It's easier said than done, but it's important work that we must do in order to truly serve our students.
This is BEAUTIFUL *)
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that things are turning around for you, and you are finding the power that the relationships of your students are their parents bring to your life, you have always been a natural at developing relationships, and if I remember correctly you did pretty good last year developing relationships with your parents. I think what is great about this post, is the power of reflection, and how reflecting on these relationships you have built has given you a new perspective as a teacher, but also as a partner to your community, but especially has helped them (both parents and students) see that you are on their side, and that all you want is to be able to know them better to serve them better.
My post, is a little dramatic and depressing, but reading your post reminded me that one of my strengths is that I love to build relationship with my students' families. And one of my celebrations is that I got to talk to at least 19 of my families this past month, and i got to know them better, and came up with action-plans that will help us push their students to more eminent success. So thank you for sharing this, and help me to see my situation with a little bit more hope.
I also appreciate that you reminded me of the importance of being culturally responsive, and to really understand who are students are, and to hear from them what their true needs are. Sometimes, especially with this action research class, I try to impose a need that I think might be too big for them to understand, and this is wrong. I need to position myself more as a listener so that I can truly help with their real needs.
What a great post Kels! I think more so ever this year I've been struggling to find my identity as a teacher. I can envision the type of teacher I want to eventually become but the struggle is definitely figuring out how to reach that point. I think it's also a lot easier when you are in a school that supports what you believe in and your position about education. It's tough working against the grain. I commend you for developing those close relationships with your students and parents. Those are some areas I need to focus on moving forward as well. I do think our action research projects are going to help us to move closer to our goals of fostering positive classroom environments and healthy relationships.
ReplyDeleteDang, girl! That was really insightful. I feel like we're all in this very contemplative, reflective state of mind right now! Thoughts about our current practice, what to do next year, etc. I'm really happy things are working out so well with the relationships in your classroom. I know you worked really hard at that. What did you do to foster those strong relationhips with parents?
ReplyDeleteAlso- I loved the point of working on something long enough before giving up. That was something I saw a lot my first year. I feel like I would try something, it wouldn't work, and I woudn't try it again. It does take time.
Great blog! It seems like the break gave you some time to really have some great reflection.
I'll just say it again - this is rockin'. You can really tell that you have embraced yourself as a teacher and your students as themselves. That is POWERFUL.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most salient part of this for me was that change takes time. I am so quick to abandon something new that I am trying because it doesn't go well on the first day. It probably doesn't go well in large part because of me! After all, it is new for me too. Thanks for the reminder that we often have to try and fail before we are successful.