September 24, 2009

"Live what you believe-see the possibilities more clearly than impossibilities." I'm not sure if that is the exact quote from the text, but that is exactly what I remember. All in all, this what I took from these chapters. Focus on the good in people and their pitential, not our downfalls.
I had several teachers that focused more on the impossibilites of their students than what could be achieved. I remember when I was in the 2nd grade. I wasn't the best reader in the class, but I wasn't the worst. I remember my teacher telling me and my mom during student teacher conferences that I needed to work on my reading, that I wasn't a very good reader. That was all I remember. I don't recall her telling my mom anything that I could do well. To this day, I still have a hard time feeling like I grew much in that class because my teacher didn't focus on my possibilities.
Another idea I liked from the text is, "I respect who you are as well as who you can become." I don't remember any of my teachers, namely my second grade teacher asking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Although that is a very basic question, and doesn't necessarily need to be asked to respect what our children can become, I wanted her to know! My teacher did want me to become a better reader, but the way she did it was not one that I appreciated.
Chapter 4 went along closely with chapter 3 and gave me some great ideas. I feel that in order for me to not become my second grade teacher, I need to get to know my students' culture by asking what they want to be when they grow up, by holding goal setting conferences, and by assuring that all students have what they need to succeed.
In short, I grew in my second grade class, but not to my full potential. I grew not because my teacher encouraged my growth, but because I wanted to so that she wouldn't tell my mom I wasn't good enough. I don't ever want to do that to my future students.