“Teaching” is not a specific enough word to describe what I do. Connecting. Learning. Creating. Collaborating. Trusting. Listening. Loving. Caring. That’s what I do. There are few teachers in my life I really felt this from, and many more who made me feel like the tiniest speck of dust on the planet. Those teachers who didn’t care to try and understand for a second who I was and where I came from really pushed me to become a teacher for others like me.
Teaching is connecting. It’s not yelling at your students because their work isn’t done. It’s finding out why and being a part of the solution.
Teaching is learning. You cannot teach with equity if you do not have an understanding of who your students are. Students must know that what they bring to the table is valuable. Their heritage, ther culture, their families are valued. The people in the room bring their lives in with them and that is no burden, but an asset. It is crucial that students receive multicultural education and differentiated instruction, so as to encourage pride in the differences we have. That starts with learning about students, their backgrounds, and the incredible amount of humanity they each have to offer.
Teaching is creating and collaborating. It is providing students and teachers with a space to make mistakes. Mistakes should be celebrated, as they are part of the process of learning. The relationship between a teacher and student is that of a team. As a team, we build together. My ideas will never be the only ones heard or implemented.
Teaching is trusting and listening. If I don’t trust my students, how can I ever expect them to trust me? I trust them with responsibility, and I trust them to know their own body and what they need at a given time. In return, the students can trust me to listen to them. Teaching is being there for your students when they need someone to talk to, without making them feel like their problems are small because they’re young.
Teaching is loving and caring. It is knowing that your job does not stop when you leave the building or when the bell rings. You are a part of your students’ lives. And they are a part of yours. There’s no such thing as “leave it at the door.” My students are encouraged to bring their whole selves into the classroom.
I am a teacher because I want students to have an opportunity to understand that school is not an obstacle but instead it is a tactic. It is a step in understanding that one does not have to be a victim of one’s circumstance. It is a place you can go and be cared for, not ridiculed. It is a place you can be loved for being you, and all that you bring to the table.
Jessica Yagoda 