I have had quite a bit of time to recently reflect on the past school year after a week of summer break. I have celebrated the good, thought about ways to improve, and things I want to try next year to amp up my teaching. I have wondered what my students are doing now that they don't come to my classroom everyday: Are they reading? Do they remember how to read? Are they running wild on the streets? Do they have enough food to eat? Do they remember me? Are they better for having me as their teacher? and I could go on and on- you do develop a huge sense of ownership/responsibility for your students after 9 months that I just can't help but wonder. I have quickly realized that I many of these things are out of my control currently, especially when school is not in session. However, I have came to the realization that there are things that I can control when school is in session. A book at the top of my summer reading list has been Dave Burgess' Teach Like a Pirate which I cannot put down. In the book, Dave dedicates a chapter on how a truly great teacher immerses themselves in a classroom especially with struggling students. One strong take away that I have taken from that chapter is that a huge part of immersion in a classroom, is for a teacher to never take a day off. I am not referring to actual absences from work, but more in the sense of the sports analogy " He is a talented player, but sometimes he takes a play/game/day off and doesn't put forth his best effort". Especially towards the end of the year, it is common for teachers to "take a day off", and put forth a lackluster effort by way of a lousy assignment, lack of instruction, or shutting down for the year when school is still in session. We all have days when we might not be up jacked up to be at school or other priorities have taken a toll on our mental state, but with that being said I feel it is imperative we take a vow to never mail it in. Knowing what some of my students may be experiencing as they are on summer break and the structure, guidance, love, and compassion they yearn for from us as educators due to cards they are dealt outside of school makes it all the more important that we give each and every one of our students our undivided effort when they are in session. As an educator, one thing that motivates me to improve is knowing that I might be the only positive adult that a child encounters that day, and that I should do anything in my power to make the most of that opportunity. We may not be able to change every negative experience a child experiences, but we can light a fire and ignite a passion inside them that motivates them to want to become a lifelong learner and in turn helps carry them through the very scary reality that can be summer break. I can''t take a day off as a child's classroom teacher and provide a lackluster learning experience if I have my student's best interest at mind. Yes, showing a movie or copying off a 25 page worksheet packet may be the easy thing to do, but easy is rarely ever the best thing for a child. It's incredible to see how different a child's mood can be at school if you take the 2 seconds it takes to ask them how their day is going, discuss a common interest in them, or share a cheesy joke (which I have plenty). Knowing we only have the privilege of working with a group of students for 9 months, we can't afford to take a day off from being an unwavering source of positivity.I am not calling for us to change the world or how we teach, but I do not think it is outrageous for us to ask that we welcome and enjoy breaks when the students are not around, because the reality is for many of our students summer break is no break at all. With that being said, I challenge you to never take a day off!
-Ryan
-Ryan