Teaching Style
The definition of success varies from person to person, from situation to situation, from school to school, from goal to goal. A success story that I am proud to repeat to all who will listen occurred during the 2003-2004 school year. I had a group of 50 awnery, rambunctious, and extremely diverse eighth graders. These eighth graders were highly motivated. Unfortunately they were not motivated in the area of English, or responsibility, dependability, perseverance, or respect. Though these students had an abundance of creativity, knowledge, and ability, they lacked the focus and direction to use it TOWARD their education rather than AGAINST it.
Through a lot of modeling, practice, encouragement, praise, and I'll admit, a lot of begging at times, these students began to become self-advocates for their own education. They began clearly seeing their education as an investment and to expect the best education available. Our classroom became an environment where it was safe to not only participate in their education but to actually want their education, and at times demand it. In return for the very best that I could give them, they responded incredibly with the best they could give me. I was not only impressed, but very proud of them. They were not only impressed with what they had accomplished, but they were very proud of themselves.
Success to me is based on the satisfaction of all stakeholders involved in education. At the end of a 90 minute period, it was the comments students made and their actions that told me whether the lesson was successful or not: "Wow, it's time to go already?" ; "This was cool!". Their anxiousness to tell me or show me their work, the pride on their faces when they shared with others. Success was the parents comments that their student loved my class, was writing and even talking better. Success was the awed silence when I told them that they ALL passed the FCAT writing test with a 3.5 or better. That they, their parents, the administration, the district and myself had met our goals.