A colleague recently told me that he wanted the administration to recognize him, to notice he is a good teacher and finally show him some appreciation. I told him to give it up, that would never happen. Admins only seem to notice teachers when they do something wrong. A student of his heard part of the conversation and shouted, "Mr. Hope, you are the best. We love you." A group of kids from the class joined in. Mr. Hope has been recognized. One day he might realize this kind is the only kind that matters.
This week I was fortunate to be at the senior award ceremony and I watched my kids, one after one, receive award after award. It was wonderful. Before leaving, a former student, a boy accepted at Cornell, Columbia, Yale, U Penn and Princeton (he's going to Princeton) told me I was an inspiring teacher, one of the few that got him to where he is today.
This week, I got my award and my recognition. I got it from someone who matters.
3 comments:
And you deserve the comments!! You are an inspiration to us all.
I find myself asking, if I had known what it was REALLY like, would I have gone into teaching or stayed where I was. I think I make a difference. I am teaching the students I want to teach. I am tired. This year was particularly difficult, next year will be as well for entirely different reasons.
I don't have an answer.
I do know what my answer was when the Ga. Tech sophomore suggested he do teach for America after graduation (NO).
Congratulations. I agree yet again that recognition from kids is one of the very best rewards this profession offers. And the "reformers" have not yet figured how to remove that, particularly considering they can't even conceive of it as valuable.
This reminds me of the teacher at MS 216 in Fresh Meadows who was recently removed. Before the principal squashed it the students were organizing protests, wearing t-shirts that asked to bring her back, and using a social media site to generate support for her return. The kids seem to be the only recogition that matters.
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