A Life of Teaching: Reflections from Teachers in an Inquiry Group

Dialectical Journal 2/Caren Rothstein A Life of Teaching: Reflections from Teachers in an Inquiry Group Sonia Nieto, Sonie Felix, and Karen Gelzinis

REFLECT COMMENTS COLLECT I came up with the following The author had interviewed many Camden’s comments: I believe characteristics of teaching that teachers arrived at this list. First I that many professions have their seem to keep teachers in the would like to comment on the list of “spites” but there is Inquiry Group (and I believe they term, in “spite of everything” We something unique about the are true for many other teachers) all know instinctively what that teaching “spites” that keep us going in spite of everything. means. There are so many in ever hopeful. In fact, for some of • Teaching as evolution; spites! Every school and every us, it is perhaps the “spites” their • Teaching as autobiography; school year presents its own selves that keep us persistent and • Teaching as love problems and challenges. moving forward. Perhaps it is the • Teaching as hope and Sometimes we think. Oh next teachers that can weather the possibility year I won’t have, Jimmy in my spites; triumph over the spites; or • Teaching as anger and class, or ,maybe when Mrs. Jones not let the spites deflate their desperation retires things will get better. purpose when the spites • Teaching as intellectual work But there are always “spites”! temporarily defeat them, who are • Teaching as democratic Those of us that march on do able to develop longevity in their practice, and have a variety of reasons. And on career. • Teaching as shaping the Monday our reason may be love future.”(p.9) and on Tuesday intellectual work, Wednesday demoacratic practice, by Thursday social justice and on Firday its anger and desperation! I do think acknowledging all parts of us as teachers gives us meaning. Having this holistic view of our profession and not just seeing us as the misogynistic nurturerers nor the mindless robotic purveyors of scripts is positive for us. It helped me to see that I am not alone in my self goals and needs as an individual and a professional.

“Education has been like a This quote spoken by a Haitian The connections this woman was recurring theme in my life. The woman, now a teacher, is able to make- self to text and more I tried to escape it, the more especially important to me eventually text to text seemed to it became a part of me. As I made because it speaks to my project validate her in her journey. I my way through college, I began directly. It confirms my theory think this is a powerful aspect of to fall in love with learning. The that bibliotherapy is an essential students reading literature where more I read, the freer I became. It tool to facilitate the healing of that see themselves, their culture was as if a sense of liberation difficult wounds and to assist or similar cultures experiences swept over me and showed me children negotiate the problems represented in ways that are the endless possibilities that were of their world. empowering. If students are not waiting for me. Through reading, able to make these important I was able to free up my mind and connections – literacy is severely my spirit. I read books by authors impacted. It’s not that all their who, like myself, struggled to reading has to have a cultural make it in America. They wrote connection for students but rather about their hardships, and how that have to have some important education helped them to cultural literature to connect with overcome the obstacles that stood and move forward building new in their way. I read about the experiences through their reading. slaves who were denied an This woman describes it as a education, and how they longed liberating experience that opened for a chance to be educated, some up her whole education. even risking their lives to attain it. Then I thought about my parents in my country and how they too saw the importance of learning and then it became clear to me what my purpose here on earth was” (p.12) My own mother, who died in I often wonder about the people “We need different words to 1993 knew this about children in who spend so much time on speak about what we do. general. She was never a teacher words that really say very little. Standards. (except to her own 2 children)- Do they really think that people Rubrics. Benchmarks. Ninth- although she would have been an are actively listening? Children grader. Important words, yes. outstanding one. The night before are listening to what you say BUT... These words I left for sleep away camp, not as because their slates are somewhat do not tell the complete stories of a camper, but as a counselor for clean. But in addition to the our kids; they do not tell the the first time, she said to me, words we use with them, are the complete stories of what we do. “now remember, those children words we give to them and WE CHANGE LIVES will remember what you say, for eventually the words they return FOREVER. We are going to the rest of their lives. It could be to us. I want to see the data where change lives forever, one way or something that changes their any student says “I will always another, for good or for bad. “ lives, forever. You have that remember my teacher for that (p25) opportunity to change their lives outstanding rubric she gave us on for the better or worse. Don’t you our 3rd grade writing benchmark want to change it for the better?” test!” If that ever happens, I think I never forgot that piece of advise I will have to retire. and accepted the onus to watch what I say to children always. I also try with adults, although it is definitely, not as easy! If I had only one thing to teach as a mentor, this is what I would teach.