A Best Day in Education

 One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou: 

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I am a 6th-grade teacher. Contrary to popular beliefs, middle school is a fun and interesting age to teach. I love it! Even though it is also very infuriating dealing with students who lack self-awareness and moods are ever-changing. Especially teaching in this pandemic...teaching to a black screen...you're not really sure are you making an impact on students' lives.  You wonder to yourself: Are they there? Are they understanding what is happening? Do they get it? It is harder also trying to build relationships with students you have never met in real life. 

However, that was my goal this year even in remote teaching. How to cultivate authentic relationships and create safe space even on Zoom. 

Before Winter Break, one of my students emailed me and asked for my address so she can send me a Christmas gift. I was flattered and thought how kind of her. I was used to having students give small chocolate or a small card before a break back at school. But this student took it upon herself to send me a gift. I gave her my information expecting something delivered to my house in a few weeks. To my surprise, my student had her mom drive her to my house, rang the doorbell, and handed the gift. 

When I opened the gift, she has given me two packs of my favorite candy, sour straws. It was a fun fact I shared with the class at the beginning of the school year. She made a card with a drawing of me inside and it says that she really enjoyed my class and has learned a lot so far. She also hoped that I was one of her favorite students! In the card, she also quoted certain phrases I tend to say a lot in class. 

I was touched by the gift but not only that, I was IMPRESSED. I only shared that fun fact about my favorite candy at the beginning of the school year and she remembered. Even though everyone usually has black screens online and I am curious to do students pay attention to me, she drew a picture of me. She also remembered all the phrases I say. This was a huge reminder that...students are always watching. Students are always impacted by our actions even through the screen. I felt encouraged to know that it has been HARD teaching remotely, battling the district at a union level for safely opening schools. But somehow, we're still making an impact. Her gesture reminded me that as educators, we're always trying to make beauty from chaos and we can't stop. 

Even when we think students are not paying attention, especially during remote learning, they are. 

I recently also got a call from a former student who is in High School and she was going through an issue and was scared to tell her parents. I talk her through and we came to the conclusion that she had to tell her family what happened. She is someone I taught when she was in 6th grade and yet she called me first for guidance. I don't take that lightly. Similar to the Maya Angelou quote, it's not about what do students remember what they learned in my classroom, but how did they feel when they were there. Who do they become when they leave our classroom? Are they better people, students with character or integrity, than when they started? 

Mandy L.