Miss Bouck's English Class

Tactful

Energy

Approachability

Care

Habitat

            Each student that comes into a classroom carries burdens with them. I recognize that every student has a different home life, social life, and even academic life. Therefore, knowing your students is key. You have to be tactful, which is where the T comes from, in dealing with their situations. Some students might just need to vent about their home life and confide in you. Others might need some specialty help where higher academic powers have to be involved. For example, one student in my internship was homeschooled until he came to high school. For this student, his social life is rocky because he is not used to the constant social interaction. This is where writing could be helpful. This student could write journals about his experiences rather than having to talk about them verbally with a teacher. In this sense, he can expand how he thinks about writing in order to help him navigate the high school setting.

            Secondly, I believe that when you, as a teacher, are excited about a topic, your students will be more engaged. The E has a double-edge to it. The more Energy and Excitement you have, the more Engaged your students are. For example, if you stand up in front of your class and show no excitement for the material they’re learning, they won’t be excited to learn about it either. I am terrible at math, but when I shadowed a special education teacher, she had me work with students who were struggling at math. Although I was learning alongside them, I pretended to be excited when a student explained it to me. She could see her mistakes and talk me through them; therefore, she was more engaged with the work. The same idea applies to English. Having students practice writing with you helps them to think through the writing process more.

            The third letter, A, represents approachability. As a teacher, you might be that last straw for a student who is struggling. You can either make or break the high school experience for students. We’ve all been involved with horrible teachers who made us hate high school, but we’ve also had that teacher who made us love going to their class. For that reason, I want to be the teacher who makes students enjoy school. I believe that being approachable is key to that, which means that students can come to me when they’re struggling – academically, socially, etc. I want to be that line of defense from hating school. Students need at least one teacher that they can confide in, and I am going to be there for my students. When doing journal writing in English, students can get their struggles down on paper and help alleviate any stress they might be feeling.

            Going off of approachability, is the letter C. C stands for care. Whether it’s caring about the subject I’m teaching, my students, or even the community I choose to grow my career in, caring matters most. I need to care about what I’m teaching, so that I can demonstrate to students how to critically think and engage in material beyond my classroom. However, when responding to a novel, each student comes from a different background and a variety of experiences. This needs to be kept in mind when grading their homework because there is no “right” or “wrong” answer. I need to care about my students, so that they can have at least one adult who sees them as a person. I need to care about my community because if I have chosen a life in that town, I am responsible as a citizen there to maintain its appearance and promote engagement among all the residents there.

            Lastly, the H in T.E.A.C.H. stands for habitat. As a teacher, you need to create a safe space or a caring learning environment in which students can learn from each other and know that it is safe to make mistakes. As part of Fisher and Frey’s gradual release of responsibility, you need that helping learning environment. Without it, most students are afraid to collaboratively learn together. My safe space or habitat needs to have rules and standards, probably due to a social contract, that makes it a beneficial place for students to “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy” (as Miss Frizzle would say).

            Overall, my teaching philosophy is focusing on setting the student up for success. As a teacher, I want to see all my students succeed, and if my classroom is the only place where they feel safe to do so, then I have made an impact in at least thirty students’ lives. Hopefully, they can look back on their experience and remember the good things about my class.

 

 

Annotated Bibliography

Fisher, Douglas, & Frey, Nancy. Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility. ASCD Publications. 2008.

 

Tchudi, Stephen, & Tchudi, Susan. The English Language Arts Handbook: Classroom Strategies for Teachers 2nd Edition. Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc. 1999.

 

Weaver, Constance. Teaching Grammar in Context. Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc. 1996.