Still thinking of Sam, the "Reverend Sam." In the course of our
conversation, he said something like, "you saw us beyond the label 'student' as
individual human beings" This has gotten me thinking over the last few days.
We let so many labels reduce or even block human contact: average, mediocre,
poor. When we do that, we strip away someone's humanity; and, when we strip
away humanity, there is a tendency to stop thinking about a student as a
person with a life and feelings.
You want to assess? Fine. The truest assessment of a teacher is how
she or he cares about the fate of the "average," "mediocre," and "poor"
student, feels the duty to act on their behalf, and sees an obligation to help
them help themselves become the persons they are capable of becoming. It is
easy to admire the "good" student and scoff at the "poor" student. It is easy
to parade out the "honor" student and bemoan the "mediocre" student. But, you
know, we haven't done a thing when students come into our classes already as
"good" and "honors." But, those others? Those "average," "mediocre," and
"poor" such as Sam was? That's another story. Abe Lincoln would have said,
"god must have loved the average student. He made so many of them." Do you
love them?
From my experience, "thar's gold in them thar hills." They're hard to
teach only because you don't know each of them and understand each of them
But, take the time, make the effort to find ways to connect, to overcome
loneliness, aloneness, and distrust. Work tirelessly to get them to believe as
you believe, to see and you see. Trust me, as you do, you'll realize they each
have so much potential, more often than not than they themselves dare realize.
Compassion will replace resignation and anger, your heart will open up, your
arms will extend, you'll embrace, and you'll role up your sleeves. As you do,
you will offer them a shot at achieving because they have a caring teacher
supporting and encouraging them through their daily struggles.
Prospect for those deep, rich, veins lying untouched beneath those
unappealing, supposedly barren lands! Mine them! The caring for, the
nurturing of, the passionate compassion for, and the affection for the students
who need help the most--in no uncertain terms, with nothing left out, with no
caveats or reservations, with no hesitations, with no equivocations--those are
the true barometers of a teacher. And, from my experience, let me tell you a
secret; like the Reverend Sams of this world, they are the mother lodes of a
teacher.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier
http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta, Ga 31602
(C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\
/\
/^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__
/ \ / \
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/ / \ /\ \
//\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/
\_/__\ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" - / \_
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