Teaching Journal 08-09
Day 10, 9.19.08

One Teacher’s Idioms: “Get it together”

Every so often, I’ve heard someone say to a person who’s struggling something like “Come on, get it together”, and it occurs to me that I might say that to my students, though with quite a different meaning. In my English class, I want the scholars to “get it”, meaning I want them to understand the concepts I’m trying to teach them, and the best way to accomplish that is to “get it together”. Working together as a team, they can each accomplish far more than they can working alone. Sharing their experience and skillfulness (instead of hoarding it), they can build the type of comprehensive and durable wisdom that will serve them well in the years to come. This points back to something I wrote about yesterday – the importance of realizing that “I” and “me” are much weaker words than “we” and “us”. Plodding along on our own – “getting it” by ourselves -- the students and I might experience some small, sporadic growth, but it will be far less than the burgeoning and blossoming we could feel if we work on getting it together.
...............

..............

In the morning 9th grade classes, we did what we call “freestyle writing” while listening to a graceful song by Jack Johnson. This is a time of liberty and easing-up in my class, a few minutes in the week when the kids can let their thoughts and words go where they wish. The lyrics of this song are poignant, and the words the students put on paper were equally so. At the end of about 12 minutes of writing, I collected the papers and read them to the class, anonymously, with the song playing softly in the background. It was a stirring few minutes for me as I spoke the touching words of these brave, bright children.
..............
One 8th grade boy, a serious scientist in his spare time, has also demonstrated – surprisingly, to me – a serious understanding of English grammar. I say “surprisingly” because I guess I had him pegged as a biologist rather than a grammarian, but he’s proving that it’s possible for a 13-year-old to be both. He’s also proving that pigeon-holing kids (or anyone) is the wrong road to travel.
.................
A girl came into class and quickly sat down and began reading, so I went over to her and whispered that I wanted to give her a sticker for getting started so promptly. I’m sure some other kids heard me, and before a few seconds had passed, all books were opened and the room was silent. It shows what a few softly-spoken words can do.
..................
In another class, a boy quietly rushed in just as we were starting. He speedily went to his seat, opened his class notes, sat up attentively, and looked at me. I thought he almost seemed out of breath. It was a good sign, though, that he was so concerned about being in class on time. Punctuality is a virtue I stress right from the first day – a virtue they will be needing for the rest of their years.
..............
I need to constantly remind myself to not talk until everyone is doing nothing but looking at me and listening. How many words do we teachers waste by speaking to a daydreaming or distracted audience?