a second from my soap box

Excited to share some upcoming transitions in the life of this drama teacher...

Most recent news, my man and I found a quaint little, but newly remodeled home in the Highlands neighborhood in Denver, and we will be moving in mid-May. No more bachelorette pad, no more Wash Park, the tides are changing! And I am embracing the next step of our relationship in this new space.

Next year I will be the first drama teacher to teach at the Denver Center for International Studies (DCIS) at the downtown campus. They are a 6-12 school in Denver Public Schools, and if you check out the website, you can learn a lot more about how incredibly awesome of a school it is. I have my work cut out for me, there is already a strong, existing student-led Drama Club that will be putting on their 4th production, and they gave me a laundry list of how they'd like me to provide my courses. I am extremely humbled and enthusiastic about joining the staff and students at DCIS, get me there now!

I am leaving my school on bittersweet terms, I will definitely miss my students and battle with myself about the holes that will be left in their drama education, but I have to be grateful for this opportunity, that is unlike any I would have ever expected to fall into. Of course, I am leaving to further my career, but honestly I am very encouraged to be a part of a progressive, positive team that puts students first.

Recently at my current school, the work environment has not been the brightest. The area of the city where the school is located faces the popping up of new schools that are charters or have innovative status. This means that the school is still considered a public school, but they are run by a charter, or a different set of rules for things like school day hours, rules, strong school culture run by an academic focus, homework policies, testing schedules, whatever they believe is important can impede what the district has set up. Most of the time, these schools are successful, they have committed teachers and staff, they work hard and they set a strong culture of achievement and academics. Now thats not to say that sometimes these charter schools are not successful either, the work ethic of these staff members cannot always sustain.... it's a lot of work! There are still struggling students if they or their families are not on board with the charter, there is still a lot of discovery to made as far as what works the best, but regardless the popping up of these schools gives parents another option than just the neighborhood school that they would normally have to send their child. They have a choice, and in this area, they can shop around for the school they want to send their children.

On the surface, this creates friction between the traditional-public schools and these charters. Teachers feel "burdened" by the kids who did not get accepted to the charter, getting the "leftovers" or the "bad kids." And it also has been observed that they develop an attitude of resentment, or feeling like, "well those schools do this, and we do that," "why do they choose THEM over US," and an overall separation and negative feeling between the schools and their cultures.

Let me be clear, my new school is not a charter school, rather a school that offers an International Studies diploma to graduates who complete the requirements. It is a public school that is high achieving due to the commitment of staff, parents and students to keep the school academically focused. However, I have been feeling the heat from my current co-workers and their opinions about "those schools" threatening theirs. Without more information, I feel they are judging my decision to go to DCIS and that I am contributing to the overall decline of the public school structures in the district. I have sat back and been a fly on the wall while they carry on conversations about their frustrations with "those schools" and frankly, I need to vent without causing more stress in this work environment for the rest of the year!

The purpose of public schools are to provide a free, equitable education for ALL students. Now how this is done is different all over the country, city to city, rural town to mountain town, form old teachers to young teachers, the public school structure is different every where and it is allowed to be. As long as students are LEARNING, achieving and being supported in their goals, then the public school is doing their job. Instead of separating ourselves by structure or status, why don't teachers take time to go to another school to observe the differences, to take notes on what is working well and what is not working, and how they can adapt to the times and the needs of the school. Why don't teachers put the needs of the students FIRST instead of their own preferences and comfort levels with the schedule, with the curriculum, with the expectations. Reach higher for your students and for yourself than just what you are used to.

Maybe this is all easy for me to say, with my TFA background of having high expectations regardless of economic status, but I think it is also a common sense concept. Being a good teacher takes dedication to always reflecting and making yourself better for your students. If a charter school is better, or the structures within a public school are better, than so be it. But take into consideration the population, the needs, the families, the context of the school, the neighborhood. Stop yourself before you say "those schools" and say "all schools." All schools should be focused on cultivating the whole child. All schools should have academic achievement their primary focus, whatever means necessary. All schools should put students' needs before the needs of their students, and work on whatever it takes to make it the best environment for those students to learn. When we separate ourselves based on status or structure, we separate ourselves from the real mission and purpose of public schools.

That's all, thanks soap box for your hospitality.

To my teachers, from your student (now a teacher)

(e-mailed to my high school English, Spanish, History and Public Service teachers) 

It is standardized testing season in Colorado and so as a “specials” teacher, I have had the duty of assisting with proctoring tests the last full week. With all of this time to just stroll up and down the classroom observing the students, (which is very tiring as you probably know!) I have had a lot of time to think, to reflect and construct some thoughts that I wanted to send your way.

My principal has been asking select staff members to ‘share their story’ at staff meetings this year. In other words, at the beginning of our weekly PD, he chooses one random person to come up and tell everyone why they are a teacher. With the chance of being called up one of these days, I have been reflecting on that very question. It would be easy to just chalk up this career choice for me to chance and luck, that I got selected to be a Teach for America corps member out of college and luckily landed in Denver where the schools aren’t “too bad” and I can call in sick days conveniently when the mountains have got some new inches of snow… But honestly, when I think about why it makes sense for ME to be a teacher, I think about the learning experiences and relationships I had with all of you in high school.

From what I can remember, I did well in school when I was young because I liked it. I liked learning and feeling the confidence that came with presenting and sharing my knowledge with my teachers, peers and family. But as I got into high school, it was harder, the subjects, the social life, the impending future. Despite those inevitable difficulties, I enjoyed high school because of the experiences you provided for me and the connections you made with me as my teachers. Whether it was seeing a certain clip from John Stewart and understanding a political concept, or a deep conversation about a Shakespeare play, doing draft upon draft of a paper,a field trip to Washington D.C., a field trip to a play, discussing effective public service and business strategies through watching “The Apprentice,” doing service in the community, organizing and running food drives, speaking and joking around in Spanish, encouraging travel and international opportunity, encouraging one-on-one conversations about the future, about life, encouragement through hard times, sharing successes and learning and growing from failures…. All of these things are memories and skills that I bring with me every day I walk into my own classroom. I understand the extreme importance of student engagement, because you all had me engaged from the moment I was in your class. You taught me the importance of having positive relationships that sometimes warrant tough love, but always at the end of the day, knowing it is out of love. You showed me high expectations, not settling for my minimum amount of work or effort, but pushing me above and beyond to pursue whatever I wanted to.

As a public school teacher for 4 years now, and who knows for how much longer, I am proud to say that a large part of the reason I am a teacher is because of you guys, my teachers. I just wanted to say thank you to all 4 of you for the ways you inspired me and the ways you inspire your current students, co-workers and your own children every day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I miss you and would love to hear what is going on with each of you where you are now.

My best,

Caroline 

The Duties of a Teacher

In light of recent events, I've been inspired to reflect on my profession and the responsibilities it includes. Given that teachers are a part of the development and every day lives of growing children, the responsibilities are very vast. And it had not occurred to me until now, my 8th semester of teaching, that I fully realized what I am charged to do every day.


Teachers must be listeners.
We have to receive every word and idea from our students. We have to hold on to their dreams, their fears, their celebrations, their sorrows. We have to look them and listen to them with undivided attention and reception. We have to confirm to them that they may speak their minds and give their opinions in order to affirm to them that they are important and that what they have to say to us really matters.


Teachers must be messengers.
In addition to delivering our content standards, objectives, academic vocabulary, etc. we are messengers of current events, of coping strategies, of life experience, of expectations and consequences. We communicate to them of the riches that lie outside of the classroom walls, and that's a big responsibility! Everything we tell them, they believe, and their imaginations create, they accredit us for those details. They count on us to bring messages into their language and make connections for them to be excited about discovering in the world.


Teachers must be bodyguards.
As long as they are within the walls of our school, they are ours to protect. From what evil is out in the world, from what evil is within the school or evil within themselves. It's our job to save them from anything that could be harmful.


Teachers must be providers.
We have to provide a safe environment for them to develop, to learn, to make connections and to be themselves. We have to provide them with color, light, images, words, numbers, ideas, concepts, film, theater, music, all the things that they may not have access to when they are not in school. We have to provide opportunities for them to experience something new and incredible. They should look forward to discovering what's next that we have to provide for them. We have to provide experiences that they wouldn't get otherwise, and the empowerment to seek these experiences on their own.



Teachers must bring light.
I've heard this before, and thought it was completely cheesy and difficult. But it is absolutely true. When they bring darkness, when there is darkness outside out classrooms, we have to bring the light. A smile, an embrace, a kind voice, a second chance, a second opportunity, a fresh perspective, something other than the same dark responses or words that they might hear or have in their lives. It is a teacher's responsibility to bring encouragement, positivity, patience, empowerment to ALL students, regardless of their ability or engagement level. They all deserve to have teachers that try their hardest to reach them and give them the light that they need.



This is daunting to think about. However, not impossible. I know plenty of teachers who want to be all these things for students, and also know that it is imperative. And if one is not willing to listen, deliver messages, bodyguard, provide and bring light, then they're in the wrong career!