If there is any book that should be read and re-read by teachers it is this one: The First Days of School, How to be an Effective Teacher by Harry and Rosemary Wong.
You don't even need to read this post, just go buy the book. Buy it! Read it! Try it!
In this book we have:
The Four Stages of Teaching:
1. Fantasy
2. Survival
3. Mastery
4. Impact
Most teachers, especially new teachers, hang out in the Fantasy and Survival areas. I remember that time, when I was absolutely horrible as a teacher... I wanted to teach well and have fantastic labs! I wanted students to say that they learned.
Instead, I had students plugging my plastic lab tubing with hot glue and coloring my turtle tank with red food dye.
I got frustrated. I'd try a new lab or new lecture style, only to have it fail and I would resort back to worksheets-survival. Then feeling bad would try another complicated and fun (to me) lab-fantasy, again followed by more failure.
But from that I learned. I figured out what works and what doesn't. I improved my classroom management.
The Three Characteristics of an Effective Teacher
1. Has positive expectations for students success
2. Is an extremely good classroom manager
3. Knows how to design lessons for student mastery
I discovered that I had to show respect for my position and for my students. I lived by the motto, "You're the teacher, act like it." I lost my fear of authority (fear of asking other more experienced teachers for help), and gained authority instead (but not in an overbearing manner).
As I said before, I improved my classroom management.
I also discovered that student mastery can only be accomplished through a variety of lessons. Everyone learns differently and each concept will need to be taught in a variety of ways to be effective.
Which leads me to the discussion of today....and a student named Ty*.
Ty was a 9th grader in full special ed. He had been in special ed since elementary school. Considered low functioning, Ty struggled to read, write and draw. He had outbursts of anger in the middle of class. He screamed and threatened at times. Life was rough for Ty.
It wasn't my first year of teaching---if Ty had been in my classroom the first year, I would have failed him. The special ed. teacher approached me and asked if I would allow Ty into my class. I agreed and decided into which class section he should be added.
To understand you need to know how my classroom was organized. Students on IEP's were assigned helpers. I would painstakingly research my students and on the first few days of class I would pull aside students and tell them,
"I have a student in my class who needs some extra support. I'm wondering if you would volunteer to sit next to him/her and help them out. This doesn't mean that you tell them the answer. Instead, if they are having a hard time focusing encourage them to focus. If they are behind let me know."
Students would agree and I would tell them that I would put the struggling student next to them, but then I wouldn't tell them which student it was that struggled.
Ty was a different case. I knew that he would need more support than one.
I asked my class if they knew Ty. Surprisingly several had seen him in hallways and had attended elementary school with him. I
told them that he was being moved into our class. I
ASKED them if it would be okay for him to join our class. I
warned them that he might shout and that if he became a danger that we may need to immediately put away a lab or other equipment.
I had the entire class vote, telling them that it was okay to say no.
The vote was unanimous, Ty was going to join our class.
Then I asked for help, "I need a volunteer to sit next to Ty. You must be extra positive with him. If he does nothing that's okay. If you have a team project and he does nothing your scores will not be affected."
My student Jess* volunteered. Then to the rest of the class I said, "I need you to be extra positive with Ty. Tell him, 'Nice to see you today.' 'Ty, I'm glad your in class.' If he shouts, ignore it, I'll handle it if he's angry. Your job is to keep things positive."
Ty came to our class with a personal nurse. Day 1 was not pretty and he left the class with his nurse.
Day 2 started by Jess saying to Ty, "Ty, I'm glad to see you in class today." and Ty responded by shouting, "Why did he say that!" the rest of class. The nurse asked me, "Should I take him out?" I replied no.
Day 3 and more my students praised Ty, just for being in class.
He didn't do much work, but he shouted less and less.
Then he got sick.
Really sick.
Ty was hospitalized.
I was sent a notice to send homework to him in the hospital. I greeted my class the following day with a huge poster. "Ty is sick. He's in the hospital. I'm supposed to send him homework, but instead I want to send him a get well note. Please, if you have something good to say, write to Ty."
Everyone wrote a note. No one mentioned his shouting, his lack of work. They all told him, "We miss you Ty. Get better, take care of yourself." "See you when you get back Ty. We love having you in class."
When asked where the homework was I presented the card. And told the counselor, "I'll wait on homework when he gets back."
(This may sound like a nightmare to some parents and teachers. But really, when you're sick, horribly sick... you only get worse by not resting.) In this moment my students were shown, that I treated them like human beings. Not drones expected to accomplish tasks without any understanding of their abilities or lack of abilities. I would treat with with positive expectations. --Realistic Expectations.
In a hospital bed not far from the school, for two weeks a stack of homework sat piling higher, and a gigantic get well poster card was covered in fingerprints. I was informed that Ty read his card everyday.
He returned and very respectfully asked his nurse to leave. She did. He never shouted again.
When I gave my students their next assignment (a detailed drawing of the inside of the earth, the atmosphere etc from what we had learned over the course of the year) Ty presented me with the largest, most detailed picture in the entire class.
The following year, Ty was moved out of special ed. into all regular classes.
Last I heard, he was graduating from High School on time with his friends....some of which were together in my class.
There is a change that occurs when you impact the life of a student.
It's worth making it to that impact/mastery stage. It's not easy, but it's worth it.
Keep trying teachers.
*as always, names are changed.
Wong, H., & Wong, R.T. (2015). The First Days of School: How to be an effective teacher.
