Damn the Man! Save the Empire! Part II

The second event that reinforced my desire to do right by my students regardless of "experts" dictating what I am supposed to do was my own recognition.

Two of my students chose me to receive a "SPUR" award during the annual awards ceremony. I received this because I "spur" them on to do great things and because our mascot is a stallion. Get it? Spur? Stallion? Okay, okay, it's a little cheesy but the point is that my students know that I care and will always make the best decisions for them. They might not always like the decision, but they appreciate it later.

I was also nominated for a $500 award for being such an awesome teacher. (I didn't win, but I was one of very few nominated.) This means that multiple students made a point to tell everyone that what I do matters. To my students I am teaching them so much more than English which is exactly how it should be.

It is for nights like this that I teach. Not to be recognized but to see that my students have learned from me and can take that with them when they graduate. I also teach for the brief times when a former student pops his/her head in my door for a quick 'hello' or 'have a nice day.' They know I love them and cherish all the memories we make in class. The fact that they learn some cool stuff along the way is a bonus.

So keep your stinkin' tests State Board of Education and your "minimal" standards and your desire to teach our kids learned helplessness and your stupid belief that failing a student damages a fragile ego. I'm going to teach the best way I know how and my kids will continuously succeed!

Damn The Man! Save the Empire! Part I

Okay, favorite movie quotes aside, I recently experienced two things that in some small way makes me feel like I've really stuck it to "The Man." Who, in my case, is the Texas State Board of Education.

Last week our school held its annual Lighthouse Ceremony. Every school year each teacher chooses a student who has inspired the teacher in some way, a student who has made positive behavioral changes regarding his/her education, or a student who is simply a great kid but might not always be the first one picked to receive the accolades allotted honors and gifted students. Therefore, the students become a "lighthouse" to help teachers always return to shore when things start getting rough.

Two days before school even started I received an e-mail from Anthony's mother informing me, "My son is a 9th grader in you reading class and I just wanted to send you a quick note with my email address in case you ever needed to discuss with me [his] progress.  He does have ADD and struggles with Reading." Oh great, what a way to start the new year. I had not even met the kid and his mother was already doing damage control. The next three days (I see him on "B" days so I didn't even get to meet him on the first day of school) only gave me time to put a picture together of a kid bent on the destruction of my class with his wacky ADD (something that has not been diagnosable since the '80s by the way--seriously, look into a current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) no where is ADD listed, only ADHD). These kids are also always gigantic as if their stature makes up for any intellectual deficiencies. Needless to say, Anthony was not a kid I was just dying to meet.

I knew Anthony would be my lighthouse the moment I met him. He walked in with a smile on his face and a sincere, "Hello Miss." Normally I'm not a fan of the generic term "Miss" because the kids expect me to know their names; however, since it was just the second day of school I allowed Anthony's smile and demeanor to cover for it. He worked hard and paid great attention. Everything was "yes ma'am" or "May I?" or "please." This kid had impeccable manners! Not something I'm used to with remedial readers. I quickly realized the danger in pre-judging so many of my students based on others' actions or opinions. That's not to say that Anthony's "ADD" doesn't cause some difficult days, but he's always willing to work right next to me so I can keep him focused.

I was even the general education teacher assigned to his special education meeting. By the middle of the meeting I was enraged because Anthony was getting a raw deal with his education. Of course people who had zero idea of his potential and capabilities were trying to make decisions for him. I protested and won! This was one kid the "system" would not shove down the cracks! Anthony took all this in stride and continued to perform well in my class. There was no doubt that he deserved recognition for being a great kid.

The day of the ceremony arrived and Anthony's mother and grandfather were present to see me present him with his Lighthouse Award. It was evident by the look on Anthony's face that this is the first award he has ever received. He thanked me over and over and over. He would look at the Lighthouse picture of us together and then hug me and then look at the picture again and then thank me, etc. Even during the small reception his grandfather's pride beamed from that man in an overflowing way. Mom of course was so proud of her baby boy, and I enjoyed watching Anthony soak in the limelight for a while. It was his moment and every second was precious to him.

So take that State Board! No matter how many labels you place on a kid or poor choices you make for some kids regarding their education, there are teachers who are going to fight and acknowledge awesome kids for persevering.