Is the fact that we try? Keep trying?

I don’t mean to be a one-upper here, but I teach 194 students every day. Three different classes. One 45-minute prep.

I decided a long time ago that I was responsible for my students’ learning. That idea looks a whole lot different now. I tutor kids before school, after school, during my prep, during my lunch. . .

At what point does impossible become impossible? I think it was some point before 194 student mark.

However, I was defining acceptable in terms of this post — not letting yourself slide into thinking that if you delivered it was up to the students to catch it and succeed. There’s got to be some acknowledgment of the judgment and developmental level of the audience — whether it’s 1st grade or 10th grade.

It might look like “great teaching” but if the kid’s aren’t getting it? Then it’s not teaching, let alone great teaching. The learning piece has to come along with the teaching piece to make a match to greatness.

For instance, Dan’s “good enough” is likely excellent teaching compared to a lot of what’s out there.

Amen. I don’t have 100 or 120 students and I’m only student teaching. But 26 kids in one room is too many, too.

Now that I’ve done the curriculum, planned the lessons, etc, I’d like to start all over again, with all the time in the world and try to figure out how in a room jammed with desks, a few behavioral problem kids, and a huge range of ability, I could get in more group work, more independent work, more self-motivated work and also expand the successful whole class lessons, all while making the writing more interesting and relevant, rather than rote and of the sort that makes kids hate to write.

Sigh. I still like it though – it’s the challenge I signed up for and I know that there aren’t a ton of people out there doing great things all the time. It’s not that I personally haven’t hit on the perfect one-size-fits-all-kids-and-classrooms model, but that there isn’t one. Teachers are different, kids are different (and change up on you every year), district reqs are different…

Good to great parenting, spousing, etc. are nearly impossible too — but the prizes go to the people who at least aim for it and look at the overall goals. I think. Or I hope.

Good enough with constant effort to improve has to be acceptable.

Teaching was great when my efforts weren’t all that intelligent and I figured my impact to be wholly constrained by my students’ home lives, their internal motivation, etc. My second year teaching I finished 100% of my planning on my prep period.

But once I started going through the motions of intervention of (god help me) believing in my students and taking tangible steps to act on that belief, and I saw kids enjoy math and succeed in it for the first time since fifth grade, that’s when my career hit choppy waves.

Because I can’t do this with 120 students and maintain any kind of health. But I can’t not do this either, ya dig?

Sarah, you could be describing any number of posts but one of the best is this.

I’m searching for a specific post from TMAO where he talks about how the organization drilled into his head over and over that it was his responsibility to make sure students learned. This one expressed disappointment because some new teachers he was working with had not yet bought into the belief. It’s interesting to watch you become firmer in your stance on a matter that I’m constantly reminded of.

I say this in the full knowledge that I’m not there yet. Like Jackie, I’m making progress, but there are still moments where I can feel myself give up. I need to work on minimizing those and maximizing the pulling people through.

Do you know which kids in your classes carry that label within themselves?

(Two of my three kids defined themselves by that label and their math teachers had no clue. What prevented them from going for extra help after school? The realization that they would be unmasked and their teachers would now realize that they WERE stupid. As a parent, I worked very hard to reframe their self-perception, without success. Fortunately, they experienced successes in other areas of their lives).