Helping Others Helps Me

Our mailman asked me to help his daughter with math as she was struggling.  He heard I was a math teacher from his friend who had a son in my class several years ago.  Although I don't usually tutor, my mailman is the best and there is almost nothing I wouldn't do for him so of course I said yes.

This happened to be a great week to start, since school were closed, Jill had lots of free time and it just so happened I didn't have a lot to do this week either so we met on Monday.  My mailman and his daughter walked in with the biggest box of cookies I have ever seen and sure enough, they were my favorite cookies.  I told them not to bring anything again as they were friends and friends don't need gifts from friends.

Jill and I worked for about an hour and it was obvious from her facial expressions that she was catching on and feeling really good about the things we were going over.  She even seemed to enjoy the math.  When she left we made plans for two more sessions this week.  I had a fight with her dad when he wanted to pay me.  Friends don't take money from friends and I only help people I like.

My mailman is back to work so Jill has been having her mom bring her over.  Today mom walked in with a huge bag of fruit.  More important was the way Jill was able to write a geometry proof when she left and her new confidence.  On Monday she just wanted to pass.  Today she wants honor status in math.  I assured her we will keep working until she gets this on the regents.

Working with Jill reminded me of how much I loved teaching and how much I loved working with students who needed me.  It felt good to give and it felt great to get the hug when she left. 

happiness

Happiness is meeting a former student on the subway and finding out she is going for a masters in health studies.  It is such a great feeling to see them doing so well.  What even made my day more was when she told me about her job, tutoring mathematics.  She told me she told her students what I used to say in class--no one is stupid, just go slow, analyze and you will succeed.  She said she built their confidence the way I instilled confidence in them.

Reaffirmation

I ran into an old student at the college today.  At first I did not recognize him.  I knew he looked familiar but when he told me his name I remembered him immediately.  He told me he graduated in 2005 and went on to become a mechanical engineer.  He is now trying to become a PA and is back taking prerequisites for the program.

What got me was how he said it was me who got him into engineering and through the first three terms of calculus in college.  He said he could not have done it without the things he learned in my class.  I am not sure this is true, but it sure felt good to hear it.  Needless to say, he made my day.

When I left the high school I doubted myself as a  teacher.  After all, when someone repeatedly tells you how awful you are, you start to wonder if they are right.  Mr. AP did this to me all the time.  In fact, I heard he is still talking about me (and not in a nice way) at department meetings.  I have no illusions about myself as being G-d's gift to teaching.  I know I had my faults but I also know I worked very hard, put in tons of extra hours and put my students first.  Looking back, I know I made a difference in many of their lives, a difference that is helping them lead good lives now.

It is no secret that I did not get along with my former AP.  At one point he even promised me that I would end up retiring on a very sour note and he did everything possible to insure this would happen.  What he could not take, and will never take is the joy of learning I instilled in my students, the respect I gave them and they gave me in return and the love we had for each other. I was not the teacher he wanted me to be but I was the teacher my students wanted and needed.  I served them well.  Students like the one I met today help me reaffirm my belief that what I did was not only not bad, but that it was pretty good.

(picture-Freedom Tower from St Paul's Church)

Oh What A Feeling

Showing up in the office of the person who hates you to be greeted warmly by everyone around and watching that person turn red and walk away without even aknowledging your presence.

That person thought his nastiness would keep away the people he hates.  He's wrong.  They were there today and will be there again in the future.  And his attitude just makes them want to show up again and again and again.  He is feeling pretty crappy but they feel great. There will even be a blog post later about something observed concerning the department meeting.

Visiting Success

 



I paid Packemin a visit last week.  It was the day of the senior barbecue and I was curious to see how the tenth graders I taught there my last term before retirement faired.  And, although I had mixed feelings about the adults I would encounter, I had no such feelings towards the students and to say the trip was rewarding, would be an understatemnt.

I was greeted with hugs and embraces so hard that, 4 days later, I can still feel.  Their words, still bring smiles to my face.  So many thanked me for coming and for being on them early on, as they wondered if they would be graduating now without my help.  (They probably would have made it anyway.)  Several told me they couldn't pass math without me and it broke my heart to hear that many of these kids didn't make it through geometry and trigonometry.  I know, with the right push, they all would have succeeded.  And, while they are graduating, most will be in remedial classes in college, in spite of the pre-trig classes they took in high school.

Mr. AP claimed I had nothing to do with the school's stats and his bonus.  That doesn't matter.  These kids know I played a big part in their education and quite frankly, their opinions matter a whole lot more than the actions of some administrator who judges the quality of a teacher by how high they jump when he issues a command.

Being retired, I can post pictures.  Students all gave permission to be photographed.

Great Feeling



There is a big difference between teaching kids who have a background and need some review and relearning and those who have no background and never knew anything to begin with.

It is impossible to teach a year's work in 4 months to those in the latter group.  I have a class full of the former ones.  There are lots of home works, good questions and A's.  I love my class so much I almost feel guilty accepting a pay check.

(picture from Macy's, Herald Square)

On Being Back



Today was my first day back at Packemin.  In case you are wondering, I didn't rescind my retirement.  The community college gives a course to high school students on the Packemin campus (campus in the loosest sense of the word possible) and I have been teaching it for years.  Since change is not something I am good at, I figured keeping the class would be a good way to ease out gradually.

I had mixed feelings walking into the building today.  A couple of people were surprised to see me so I had to explain why I was back.   I loved my class, but I always love that class.  Walcott should  know, but won't admit that part of its success is its cap at 25 students.  The kids, while motivated, are not always the brightest and some have to be prodded to make it on time to period 1.  But, with 25, it is easy to keep tabs on all of them.  And, since we don't have any uniform exams, it is easy to let the kids lead the way, spend more time on the things that interest them and just let them enjoy learning the math.  It is always a class in which fun and learning go hand in hand.

Last year's dysfunctional algebra kids, surprised to see me, gave me the warmest greeting ever.  K, who did not pass hugged me so hard I thought I would break.  (Last year, she let no one touch her.)  A proudly told me he is taking intermediate algebra.  I was so proud of him for working hard and overcoming his math deficiencies and I told him the new class would help prepare him for college.  T came by to bitch, something she does well, and to hear my latest comments on her recent weave.  (Last year I let her know every time it was tacky.)  H told me about her new sister.  I lived through her mom's pregnancy and was happy to hear all went well and the baby was female, as H had more brothers than she wanted.

The best part of the day was saying goodbye at 8:30 when the class ended and leaving for the day.  I don't have to carrying the world on my back anymore.  I don't have to worry about statistics or behavior problems or administrators peering in my room.  I don't have to listen to someone who doesn't know the first thing about teaching telling me how to teach.

I have a feeling I am going to really enjoy being back in this way.