Today, I offer a reflection on my year as a high school history teacher on the day after the school year ended. As it relates to spirituality, my musings remind me to remain open-minded when encountering new people. I learned “not to write people off” as all of us are works in progress and possess tremendous potential to grow spiritually and develop personally. Actually, I am learning that people will surprise you if you let them. My students most certainly did. Perhaps, God comes to us in the persons and personalities whom we least expect. As you meet new and different people, I suggest that you remain open for the divine surprises that await you.
Yesterday, 28 May 2010, I completed the school year as a History teacher at Maplewood Comprehensive High School in Nashville, TN. I taught African American History, United States History, Advanced Placement World History and Psychology and Sociology. In many ways, this job has been the toughest one in my twenty years of professional experience. Yet, I have a profound sense of gratitude for having had the opportunity to learn with the creative, resourceful and intelligent students whom I taught. Pejoratively, MCHS is characterized as an "inner city" school whose student body comprises "at-risk" and "students in chaos." However, this description cloaks the incredible potential of many of the students. Several of them demonstrated enviable self-discipline and a formidable work ethic. Actually, I wished that I had possessed these attributes and internal resources with a similar depth when I was in high school and college. Without a doubt, I would have graduated with honors. Nonetheless, these students, some of whom are also high achieving athletes and student leaders, are well on their way to mastering the keys to success and excellence in life, personally and professionally. Discipline separates the winners from the losers. It is the fundamental difference. Actually, their commitment to hard work and success motivated me to be a better teacher. I posited that they deserved the very best in terms of preparation, organization, timely return of graded work, punctuality, and challenging expectations as it relates to course requirements, class conduct and daily instruction. Whereas, these students are not the ones that society typically bets on and expects to achieve substantially, they incontrasdistinction possess in large measure the intangible and qualitative assets to succeed in life. Lest I appear to offer a year-end gloss, I hasten to add that there were many days in the school year when I questioned my purpose in being at Maplewood. I grew tremendously as it relates to classroom management and building functional and practical relationships with the students. I had to learn to reach them where they are as opposed to where I thought that they should be. As the tide turned, we were able to attain ninety-nine percent (99%) Proficiency (with twelve percent 12% Advanced Proficiency) in the End of Course standardized Tennessee State Examination for U. S. History students. While I celebrate this accomplishment as a teacher, I am mostly encouraged by the joy and pride that the students had in themselves. They are well aware of the perception that the wider community holds of them and their abilities. They hope to be given a fair chance at bat to demonstrate their willingness to work as hard as any other set of peers. They seek a fair and equitable opportunity whereby they are not limited immediately by their socio-economic background, prior educational preparation or lack thereof and family background. Should society fail to give them this possibility, then we will miss out on a core set of leaders who have a lot to offer as we seek to maintain American competitiveness in the global economy. Lastly, I learned a lot from them. I will be a better person and professional as a result of the time that I was blessed to share with them.
Yesterday, 28 May 2010, I completed the school year as a History teacher at Maplewood Comprehensive High School in Nashville, TN. I taught African American History, United States History, Advanced Placement World History and Psychology and Sociology. In many ways, this job has been the toughest one in my twenty years of professional experience. Yet, I have a profound sense of gratitude for having had the opportunity to learn with the creative, resourceful and intelligent students whom I taught. Pejoratively, MCHS is characterized as an "inner city" school whose student body comprises "at-risk" and "students in chaos." However, this description cloaks the incredible potential of many of the students. Several of them demonstrated enviable self-discipline and a formidable work ethic. Actually, I wished that I had possessed these attributes and internal resources with a similar depth when I was in high school and college. Without a doubt, I would have graduated with honors. Nonetheless, these students, some of whom are also high achieving athletes and student leaders, are well on their way to mastering the keys to success and excellence in life, personally and professionally. Discipline separates the winners from the losers. It is the fundamental difference. Actually, their commitment to hard work and success motivated me to be a better teacher. I posited that they deserved the very best in terms of preparation, organization, timely return of graded work, punctuality, and challenging expectations as it relates to course requirements, class conduct and daily instruction. Whereas, these students are not the ones that society typically bets on and expects to achieve substantially, they incontrasdistinction possess in large measure the intangible and qualitative assets to succeed in life. Lest I appear to offer a year-end gloss, I hasten to add that there were many days in the school year when I questioned my purpose in being at Maplewood. I grew tremendously as it relates to classroom management and building functional and practical relationships with the students. I had to learn to reach them where they are as opposed to where I thought that they should be. As the tide turned, we were able to attain ninety-nine percent (99%) Proficiency (with twelve percent 12% Advanced Proficiency) in the End of Course standardized Tennessee State Examination for U. S. History students. While I celebrate this accomplishment as a teacher, I am mostly encouraged by the joy and pride that the students had in themselves. They are well aware of the perception that the wider community holds of them and their abilities. They hope to be given a fair chance at bat to demonstrate their willingness to work as hard as any other set of peers. They seek a fair and equitable opportunity whereby they are not limited immediately by their socio-economic background, prior educational preparation or lack thereof and family background. Should society fail to give them this possibility, then we will miss out on a core set of leaders who have a lot to offer as we seek to maintain American competitiveness in the global economy. Lastly, I learned a lot from them. I will be a better person and professional as a result of the time that I was blessed to share with them.
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