Emotional Impact

As I continue to grow as a teacher, my sights set on different objectives or evolutions of those past. What I have been thinking about most this year is the impact of emotional response on education and the ability to learn. We recently lost our school counselor position, and while I think that this role is of great value in any school, I feel that all students in all settings could benefit from an understanding educator; one that makes them feel confident, cared for, and challenged. It is not enough to provide emotional consideration to struggling students alone. All students deserve a chance to be their best and the only way they can get that chance is if they are in a safe enough space to take risks.

In order to provide a safe environment for students, we all have to be explicitly taught how to be respectful and how to empower ourselves. We use Second Step curriculum to teach these skills and it delivers an impact I see clearly in my room and students. My class contributes to our school culture system, Positive Behavior Interventions Supports. We have made school posters for student expectations, pick up "positive paws" for our weekly raffle, and present at "expectation stations." PBIS and the Digital Age Learners Leadership Academy inspired me to deliver lessons on digital citizenship including making a student video on how to be Safe, Respectful, and Responsible when online. This year, I have made more effort in this respect, directly teaching rules for working with partners/groups and training to help students have good conversations.

Teaching to the individual is of the utmost importance. None of us are the same, so what works for, or is interesting to, one student may not be for another. This is why I find the inquiry model so exciting; it is more difficult to deliver, but the impact of the meaningfulness for the students trumps any curriculum I would have "made them learn." Likewise, one type of redirection, praise, or feedback that gives security to a student, allowing them to be their best, may not have optimal outcomes for others, in fact, it usually doesn't. It is as if I have 30 registers for 30 students. At the end of the day, I feel that my job is one of a facilitator or coach. I cannot go out and make the play (or learn) for them. They have to want it. I can show them how, give them opportunity to practice, and guide them with feedback, but they are the ones who need to try their hardest. They will only do that if they can take risks, if they have confidence, feel cared for, and are used to rising to the challenge.