| |
Dr.
Lupini, Members of the Brookline Education Foundation, Members of the School
Committee, my wonderful colleagues, and friends, I am deeply honored
to be one of the recipients of the Ernest R. Caverly award.
I am thrilled to have members of my family here today. I especially
want to acknowledge my mother, my biggest fan. I know how happy
she is today because years ago, when she learned that there was
an award given to a Brookline teacher, her response was, "Great!
Who do I contact about your nomination?" Thanks Mom, your
call finally got through! I also want to acknowledge my aunt,
Rita, for all she contributes to my life. Rita, when it comes
to knowing how to support others, you wrote the book. Paul and
Michael, my husband and son, you live my teaching experiences
right along with me...perhaps a bit more than you want to, but
I am so grateful for your patience and support. I love you both.
To Jim Smith, my heartfelt thanks for 10 years of unwavering support.
To my Lawrence colleagues, past and present. It is a privilege
to work with you! You are consummate teachers, and it is so rewarding
for me to collaborate with you and learn from you. You are my
other family.
On April 11th, minutes after returning to the building from a
fire drill, I was called into Jim Smith's office. When I saw Dr.
Lupini and Skye Kramer and started to suspect what might be happening,
my legs turned weak and I had an overwhelming urge to slide down
the wall. Fortunately, I managed to remain standing until I returned
to my classroom which, luckily, was empty at that time. Unfortunately,
two of my colleagues entered the room a minute later and caught
the whole wall slide scene on video! Soon after I recovered from
my shock, I began to fret about this speech. Every Caverly winner
I've heard speak in the past has renewed my enthusiasm for teaching,
and I began to wonder how I could return the favor. Many of my
colleagues advised me to "just tell my story," so I
set about to find and describe "my story." As I reflected
on my years of teaching, I found myself on a journey that had
a force and direction of its own. It was important for me to take
that journey, for in stepping back and reviewing my 29 years of
teaching, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the people and
experiences that have enriched my life.
This has been a remarkable 3 decades to be a teacher, especially
in a system that values and supports lifelong learning. New and
powerful information has become available to us. Research on brain
function and learning is giving us important information which
helps us understand children's minds and how children learn. We
have access to interactive, multimedia programs which enhance
students' understanding of concepts being taught, and we see how
engaged students are with this technology.
Using this technology is one of my biggest challenges and it
helps me to remember that I am also a learner in the classroom.
Teachers are always hungry to learn more about their craft, and
they devour information that they feel will improve their work
with students. We especially relish talking about our work with
each other whenever the opportunity presents itself. Think of
all the times we teachers have been together at a social event,
and finally someone has to say, "No more teacher talk; this
is a party!" And even then, that rule is broken within minutes!
It is essential that we bring this enthusiasm to the classroom.
There we encounter a community of students that is dynamic, vibrant,
and ready to go in the direction we want to take them. Of course,
sometimes they take me in a direction of their own! Author M.C.
Richards captured this dynamic environment when she wrote, "Life
in the classroom is real, adventurous, thrilling and demanding."
Each morning, I see my students' faces pressed to the window of
the classroom as they wait to enter. When the door opens, I'm
enveloped by their collective energy. They stream into class talking
about the highlights of last night's game, a sibling's birthday
party and what really happened to their homework. Each day, they
bring their whole selves to us: their strengths, their vulnerabilities,
their courage and determination. As teachers, we have the exciting
challenge of creating an environment that supports and nurtures
each individual student, and at the same time, is stimulating
and conducive to learning. In the classroom, teacher and students
are committed to each other; we respect each other, challenge
each other, and importantly, share laughter. As the months pass,
we reveal ourselves to each other, though that involves risk on
both sides. But it's a risk essential to creating the bond. Every
year I marvel at the cohesive community each class forms after
only 10 months together. For me, this part of teaching is so gratifying.
Dr. Mel Levine, another author whose work greatly influences me
writes, "A class with different levels of aptitude and many
kinds of responses may bloom like a garden, full of color and
texture. Everyone has something to give others. Everyone may learn
to receive from others." I can't imagine a more fulfilling
environment than this garden of children we tend and encourage
to grow each day.
People often ask me, "Doesn't it get boring teaching the
same grade year after year?" As you know the answer is, "Never!
Not even close!" Every class has its own chemistry. The way
we taught a lesson last year may not click with this year's students.
We have to examine what's important for children to know and craft
new ways to teach the big ideas. We continue to learn because
we know that as teachers, we have the responsibility, in the words
of Dr. Levine, "To help children find the remarkable strengths
they possess, as well as identify the potholes that can get in
the way of their success."
This is, my favorite aspect of teaching: that we have an opportunity
to touch children's lives each day. As I said, we have a wealth
of information about how children learn, and we have knowledge
of the subjects we teach. However, the art of teaching happens
when we take the time to know our students as unique individuals.
At any given moment, we must be tuned into them so we can sense
when to push and prod or when to say, "You've done it! This
is good work. I'm proud of you." The most gratifying connections
take place when we've established the learning environment that
Mel Levine describes, when we're able to present material for
different kinds of minds, and when a student is receptive to learning
the information being presented. I witnessed this recently one
afternoon at Lawrence School. A student who has significant learning
challenges was rushing down the hall calling his teacher's name
excitedly. He called for me to join them, and when I entered the
room, I saw him standing with both hands like this. He looked
at his hands and said, "I feel like I have power. I just
taught my after school teacher how to use that software program,
Inspiration." He looked his teacher in the eye again, paused,
and said, "Thank you so much for teaching me how to do this,"
and then he rushed out of the room and back to his work. His teacher
and I stood there breathlessly, and as our eyes met I said, "That's
what it's all about."
Several months ago I was proctoring a Math League meet in a
classroom on the third floor of Devotion School. Between test
sessions, I walked around the room and looked at the wall displays.
I found a poster with an inspirational message, jotted down several
of my favorite lines, and tucked the paper in my book bag so I'd
have it close at hand. While preparing this speech, I realized
one of the lines I'd copied was about all of you. It says, "Many
persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of
heroism." I am so proud to be a Brookline teacher.
Thank You.
|
