Tuesday, July 30, 2013

My Story of Institute

My story of Institute is about Kenyon.  From day 1, I knew Kenyon was one of my most intelligent students.  However, Kenyon struggled behaviorally and it was hard for him to focus in class.  He never acted SMART and it was tough to get him truly engaged in class.  It seemed like I was always reminding him to stay on task and giving him warnings.  I’d say “I know you can do better than this, you’re an incredible student and just need to focus.”  He’d nod his head and get back to work, but soon, he’d get rowdy with the students sitting next to him.  In the school I taught at this summer, whenever a student disobeyed directions, they would earn a demerit.  I don’t remember how many demerits I gave Kenyon.  I knew he was one of my students who struggled behaviorally, but he really didn’t stand out from any of my other students.  Unfortunately, I found out halfway through Institute from my Faculty Advisor that because he acted out in the hallway, he earned his 13th demerit and wouldn’t be with us for the rest of the summer.  I know that the reason Kenyon didn’t feel invested behaviorally solely did not rest on me.  But I knew I played a large part in not making my classroom environment expectations clear enough.  I knew I failed him, and I knew I didn’t want to do it again with the students I had left. 

Joshua was another one of my students who found it difficult to behave appropriately in class.  He never completed his work, and would often make jokes or talk to the other students around him.  Because of this, he was the only one of my students failing my class.  At the rate he was going, I knew he’d earn his 13th demerit in no time; if not from me, then from another teacher.  I decided I’d speak to Joshua privately during lunch.  I told him what it would take to improve his grade, and he agreed to come in during lunch every day for extra tutoring and the chance to make up some of his work.  On the first day, I was shocked to see the difference in Joshua’s focus when there was no distractions for him.  He’d listen to my instructions, and in no time he was actually calculating slope and graphing linear equations.  The confidence he received due to his small victories at lunch soon helped him improve behaviorally in class.  I realized that his tendency to act out wasn’t because he sought attention, but rather he didn’t understand the material when he was unfocused.  I thought back to Kenyon. I thought about the learning that was lost, and how much more Kenyon could have grown the last weeks of the summer.   Was a one-on-one session during lunch all he needed?  Could I have reached out to him sooner?

I know that as a teacher, it may be impossible to reach every single one of my students.  I know that with only a class of 15, I had trouble doing it.  However, during my 5 grueling weeks at Institute, I learned a lot.  I know the importance of catering to every student’s needs and to never give up on any of them.

By the end of the summer my students made 53% growth.  But my story of Institute isn’t only about the progress I made as a teacher, but also about the personal relationships I made with my students and colleagues.  My story is about Darrion who at the beginning of the summer knew little to no algebra, but made the most growth in my class because he actively sought out help.  It’s about Busayo, who has excelled academically, but learned to help his classmates succeed as well.  And it’s about Aaron, who struggled behaviorally at the beginning of the summer, but turned it around once he was invested.  I love each one of my students and I wish I could continue to teach them and watch them grow.  I know its cliché, but I learned a lot more from my student than they learned from me

I also learned a lot from my colleagues this summer. 

Shout out to the math team: Johnathan is one of the smartest people I have had the pleasure of meeting and I know he’ll transfer his knowledge of content onto his students.  Carl makes guided notes like a machine, perfectly scaffolding and thinking how his students will interact with the material. Michael has an incredible ability to connect every single one of his lessons to the real world, always explaining why students should care.  I’ve never seen someone who work harder than Sarah which shows how much she truly cares about her students.  And last but definitely not least, Ellen!  Ellen makes every single second of every single a day a blast.  Both inside and outside the classroom, she makes life fun and its been so great hanging out with her.

Megan, Jenny, James, Jake, Claire, and Ali of the science crew also astounded me with their teamwork, cooperation, and the ways they found to make each lesson engaging

I’ll miss you all so much when I’m in Detroit, but I have no doubt that Chicago (and Indiana) will have nothing but the best teachers in all of you


                                                                      My CMA group

Also here is a link to a video we made for our adviser Chase

I also was the luckiest man alive in that I got the coolest roommate in all of the Detroit Corps.  Not only was Adam the funniest, most intelligent, and hardest working Corps member I had the pleasure of meeting, but he was always there for me and made me feel better after a long and stressful day. Also he can rap like a maniac

I also had the best school team:  Special Thanks to my CMA Chase, my FA Justin, my CS Kristin and SD Emily.  I can’t thank these people enough for how much support they gave me over the summer. 

I could go on and on about all of the terrific people I met in my students and in my colleagues, but this post is already rather lengthy

I just want to end by saying my time this summer at Institute has been absolutely life changing. I've never done anything so challenging yet so rewarding in my life. I learned so much from my kids and I know every single one of them will make their dreams come true. Now off to Detroit!








                                                               Some of my students





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