From the classroom

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”– William Arthur Ward

Ms. Joan Fisher had flaming red hair and a machine gun laugh that ricocheted through the halls. I tried to slip behind her to claim a seat the first day of class when she stepped back on my foot with her stiletto. She asked my name and said she would never forget me and then laughed her impressive laugh. I am the one who never forgot her. She taught much more than American literature. She taught authenticity, what it meant to be real and to come broken to the pages of a story and find a piece of me there. She heard my voice and amplified the shy kid, who preferred to be hidden in the back of the room. She believed in me when I needed someone to. I built my 22 years in the classroom from her model of teaching.

This year will be the first that I am not opening the door to my classroom. I step into a new role mentoring other teachers. With that task at hand, I need to reflect on the core values of what makes a teacher impactful.

Yesterday at lunch, my friend asked what the difference was in my last year of teaching compared to other years. I told my students that we were going to finish this together. We began our last term striving for the same end goal - graduation from public school. This comradery created a bond I couldn't anticipate. Senior year can be difficult, especially after March and college acceptances start coming in. The last years of teaching can be difficult. To resist the temptation of relying on our laurels is a struggle. A dynamic classroom contains learners and teachers on both sides of the desk.

I think that's one of the greatest lessons I will take from the classroom. Listen to others. Let others have the safe space to share their stories and burgeoning ideas. Only then will we graduate into a better sense of understanding and grace.