I'm in right out right down right down right up
right happy all the day
Since I came to Field Schooooool
I'm HAPPY all day
I'm in right out right down right up
Right happy ALL THE DAY! HEY!
I had the BEST elementary experience. My teachers were amazing. Maybe not my third grade teacher...she was kind of mean. She loved that I had a huge retainer in my mouth because she said then I couldn't talk too much. (Believe it or not...I wasn't a talker then)
My elementary years were amazing. Absolutely incredible. I don't remember exactly what topics we studied, or which vocabulary words I defined, but I remember the adults that treated me like I was their own. Mrs. Bastion ran the cafeteria. She fed us all. Kids helped to run the cafeteria on "service squad." And Mrs. Bastion always knew what we needed. She was among the first to read my blog and tell me she was proud of me.
I've received exactly ONE comment since I sent my post about Betsy Devos out on my Facebook page. It was from Mr. Farquharson. He was my teacher in 4th and 5th grade. And we are still in touch today...35 years later. He remains my hero! He commented on the first post I shared, and said I articulated my point well, and that I was setting a good example for what people can do when they want to make change.
Why is this a big deal??? Because he was my teacher a loooooong time ago. And he set the bar high. And what made him such an amazing teacher? The list is long, but it all comes down to this: He really cared about his students. Every year on my birthday he posts a picture of me (he does this for all of his former kids) on Facebook with a Happy B-day message. He never misses it. And always has a new picture!I think sometimes we forget the simple things that teachers do that really work. Mr. F differentiated instruction. He did what WE needed. Each one of us mattered to him. And THAT is why we were successful. It's simple.
I'm 44-years-old...and I LOVED getting that comment from him. In this new world of assessments and interventions and data tracking...we sometimes lose sight of the things that really matter.Kids. And making sure they know you care about them.
Tera, you are living proof of something I have always strongly believed, and something I would often remind my staff of when I was a principal. When it comes to teaching: students will remember little of what you taught them, but they will long remember how you treated them. You are such a great role model for your students. (And thank you for sharing your positive memories of Field School.)
ReplyDeleteKids need to feel wanted, accepted, and valued. The constant barrage of rules and requirements is stunting their growth. Keep up the fight!
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