LEAven Blog
Observations
This blog entry will be different from my usual entries in that this will be the first part of a two or three-part blog series. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I entered the world of teaching after having been a parish pastor for twelve years. My first year of teaching was at Haywood Middle Academy, the alternative middle school in the public school system of the county where I lived at the time, Haywood County, North Carolina. For that year, I taught 7th and 8th Grade Math and Science. The students at the Middle Academy had struggled in the mainstream schools of the county system. Their stories were as individual as they were, but for some reason, each had been recommended for placement in the alternative school.
As I was a first-year teacher, I was up for more principal reviews, peer reviews, meetings, and other support opportunities than more experienced teachers who taught in my school. On top of that, as a first-year teacher, I was required to be observed by each of the three “mainstream” middle school principals in the county. I remember that my first observation came in mid-to-late October. I was going to be observed by Mrs. N., the principal of the middle school in the Bethel community.
I was nervous on the day of my observation. I was thankful that in order to fit in with our class and activity schedule, my observation would only last twenty minutes as opposed to the usual 45 minutes. Mrs. N. knocked and entered the room. My six 8th-grade math students were seated around one of our big tables. Everyone was unusually quiet and attentive for the first five or six minutes of class. Well, everyone, that is, except for Cory (not his real name). Cory was in motion, wasn’t staying quiet, and was NOT participating in the lesson. I was trying, to no avail, to get Cory online with the rest of the class when suddenly, Cory let out a muffled gasp of air. At that point, and for the rest of the class, Cory calmly sat back and got on board with the rest of the class for the rest of the lesson! Mrs. N., in our debriefing session, was very pleased with my lesson preparation and presentation and was especially impressed with my classroom management skills! Things really could not have gone any better!
At the end of the day, Shannon (not her real name), an 8th Grader, started talking with me about the observation. “Yeh,” she said, “this morning in homeroom with Mr. R., the 8th Grade decided that this observation thing was probably going to be a big deal for your career, so we all agreed we’d be on our good behavior and do as good as we could. We didn’t want to mess anything up for you.” I was speechless! The loyalty this group had shown was heartwarming and humbling. Of course, things went toward a different perspective when Shannon finished by telling me, “Oh, and remember when Cory gasped then started to behave? Well, I knew he needed to get in line, so I reached across under the table and kicked him hard in the shin. I think he got the message!” Shannon said, with a very proud look on her face!
The next day I thanked the students for their support. We also had a teachable moment about good and not-so-good ways to redirect behavior in ourselves and others!
In preparation for my next blog entry, I want you to think about the following: Can you remember a time when a student or a class, or, perhaps, a colleague somehow “had your back”? What did that feel like for you? What was their motivation? Did the situation present any kind of “teachable moment”? We’ll continue this discussion the next time!
