Friday was the last day for our student teacher to be with our class. It had been an eventful semester, with lots of learning and laughter. As a good-bye gift for her, we decided to create a book as a memento. Each page of the books was a student’s response to the prompt, “A great teacher . . . “
We were curious to read their responses. We had just completed three weeks of standardized testing, which included tests in math, English language arts, and social studies. Would the students reflect no this experience in their writing? Would their responses include:
“A great teacher prepares me for standardized testing.”
“A great teacher helps me find text evidence to support my answer.”
“A great teacher explains how to eliminate incorrect answers so I fill in the right bubble.”
“A great teacher teaches me how to explain my math thinking using pictures, numbers and words.”
We all know that every item on the above list is important for our students to know. As teachers, we are fundamentally responsible for teaching our students concepts, ideas and standards. Teaching students to be able to comprehend what they read, clearly communicate their ideas in writing, and solve real-world math problems is essential. However, is that what they will most remember as they decided what makes a teacher great?
Their responses were enlightening. Not a single child mentioned a specific academic area. Rather, their responses were:
“A great teacher knows everyone’s name the first day of school.”
“A great teacher takes the time to explain things so that everyone understands.”
“A great teacher says good morning to every student.”
“A great teacher knows when you’re feeling sad.”
Like so much of my time in the classroom, we learned more from this activity than our students. The end of the school year, and all of the assessments it brings, can often be discouraging for teachers. We have all worked so hard – both teachers and students – and at times the tests may not indicate that hard work. Reading students’ responses was a good reminder to me of what is important to the children with whom we spend our days. Of course academics are important, and naturally we want our students to show growth. However, creating this book was a reminder to us of what students find most important in a teacher.
Happy Writing!
