Daniel in the Lion's Den: September 2013

The blog post I wrote that I had originally planned to submit was all about how things happen for a reason. I wrote about the the crazy interview process of Teach for America and how, while my placement subject was originally math, I got hired to teach social studies, my forte. I wrote about how I got placed at one of the most promising new charter schools in Detroit. I wrote about how I found the best place to live, and how on top of teaching 9^th grade world history, my principal wants me to start and coach a debate team. I even included a bit about how David got placed in one of better placements in China. Yep, I had it all written out. In fact, all I needed to do was click “post”. But that was before my laptop got stolen.

3 weeks ago, while I was at the Staples across the street from my new school, buying school supplies for my new classroom, my back car window door got smashed and my laptop was stolen.

This all happened in a matter of minutes. The day before school started.

In a flash, my digital life for the past 4 years was gone. All of my photos, all of my music, and all of my documents, all gone. Most damaging of all, I lost all of my lesson plans, unit curriculums, and every other teaching resource I had compiled throughout the summer.

Needless to say, I was pretty shaken up. I had no idea how I was going to go to school the next day, and I thought long and hard about whether I could make it through these next two years. I hate to sound melodramatic, but it probably was one of the lowest points of my life. I knew teaching in Detroit would be difficult but I didn’t expect this.

It took all the energy I had to get up out of bed the next day and go to school. I was finally a teacher. This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but it didn’t feel the way.

Upon meeting my kids however, all of my worries melted away. To come face to face with my students was life-changing. I knew instantly that these kids were the ones I was meant to mentor and no lack of resources was going to get in my way. I instantly thought about how petty my concern over my stolen laptop was when most of my students go through much worse everyday. If anything, the experience opened my eyes a little bit more to the world my students have lived in their whole lives.

So instead of lecturing, I improvised, and focused on getting to know my kids. Without my extensive lessons, detailed powerpoints, and comprehensive guided notes, I was obligated to adopt a more personal approach teaching. And at the end of my first three weeks, I feel like I’ve made lasting connections with my students faster than I would have from teaching from the text.

So although I will never get back the original entry I had planned to post three weeks ago, I figure I might as well stay with the same theme. After all, everything happens for a reason.