The moon is still up when I leave my house and the sky black-
The drive to Burrillville a long one, as the unraveling highways bring me
farther and farther through the changing leaves of Rhode Island.
My cooperating teacher has started working at Burrillville
High School in 1994- Here, in 2012, she is still there. She states matter of
factly that this is because she is loyal.
I am acutely aware of her easy energy and relationship with
her students that both gives and receives respect- she is calming to be near,
and gives off good vibes to all of those around her-
She is inspired by her peers, by her students, and get this-
by teacher candidates such as myself and Rachel. After getting the opportunity
to observe and assist in her classroom she relates that she loves having us,
and that she looks forward to being inspired by us- but here, at this moment, I
am the one inspired. Inspired by her focus and drive to challenge a system set
in place by those who have no place doing so.
She is enraged; enraged by legislation that is mandating her
to put state testing and scores above her students, and their needs. Forcing
her to change the way she teaches, the ways, in which she knows through her
years of her 18 years of experience, that her students learn best. But instead
of fuming and doing nothing about it; she realizes that the system in place is
a faulty one, and she finds ways to incorporate testing and standards into her
classroom, while remaining a student driven /focused environment.
I look forward to my remaining time here at Burrillville
High School- Look forward to learning from someone I both respect and admire,
and one day hope to emulate in my own future classroom.
Faith--I really love thinking about your cooperating teacher as someone who is "enraged" but also fiercely "loyal," to her students, her school, and that community. She is loyal to her profession, a field "up for grabs" to the highest bidder, it seems, a field controlled by non-teachers and elected officials. She is loyal to her beliefs and her convictions, it seems to me, and to her pledge to make the world a little better than it was when she arrived. She is loyal to doing no harm and to helping young people set off on their journey into life. I am so happy that you are talking to her about these contradictions, as a life in teaching is filled with them. Thank you, Faith. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteLisa is an amazing teacher, and you beautifully describe that fire that makes her such. Also note how she teaches with both high expectations and compassion. She is a Transcendentalist through and through, and this shines through her work and interaction with students.
ReplyDeleteI too love your description of your CT! It makes me want to meet her! It looks like you have learned a lot from her already and I'm sure it is not the end of the road! Thanks for sharing this with us!
ReplyDeletePS--I feel your pain on the long drive before the sun comes up, though yours is a little longer than mine! It's worth it, though!