Writing

**I wrote this during The Wasatch Range Writing Project. I thought it would be something good to share before I left I hope you enjoy. P.S. All names have been changed.**

Six Words
by Allison

My first three years of teaching have been anything but ideal. With experiences ranging from unsupportive team members who left me on my own one month into my first year, to parents who wanted to sue me in my second year, having the two “hardest” classes to ever go through my school, and changing from the ease and comfort of sixth grade to the scary unknown of third grade for my third year. Every bad experience however, cannot take away the happiness and joy I have felt in many teaching moments. I have learned many life lessons from the sixth and third graders who have been my life the past three years. There are six words that remind me of why I teach and why I continue to go through the unfriendliness of the world of teaching: be nice, surprise party, and Matt Jones.

“Be nice!” Will Adams scolded. I had made some snarky comment about how I was never going to get married and that was Will’s shocking response. I sat back in my chair, looked at him and said, “It doesn’t matter I was talking about myself and not anyone else. I don’t have to be nice to myself.” To this day my words haunt me. How I wish I could take them back. I’ve thought back on this conversation and this moment thinking how much Will had taught me with those two small words. I just threw those great words away without a second thought. I remember within minutes I had changed my attitude. “What am I teaching my class?” I started thinking, “Who will be nice to me, if I can’t be nice to myself?” I realized right then one of the things I could do as a teacher was help my students to “Be nice” to themselves and their classmates. I also realized my students weren’t the only ones who were supposed to be learning and growing.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISS. D!” I heard after the lights turned on by themselves. Looking into the face of Tom’s dad, I screamed. Most of my class and some parents were there celebrating my 27th birthday. I looked around and saw the decorations, balloons, hearts, and signs. On the table were buckets of vanilla ice cream, bananas and all the toppings for 8 a.m. banana splits. “Good thing it is Valentine’s Dance today.” I thought to myself realizing nothing would be accomplished all day. The students were walking around the room talking, making cards, and waiting for the banana splits. “Wait!” I continue thinking, “I thought you all hated me. And here you are throwing me a surprise party?!?” From this great group I learned forgiveness. This surprise party taught me that the majority of sixth graders still think their teachers are okay. I also realized I needed to focus on the positive, what I am able to do, and the students I could teach. Rather than focusing on the negative, what I couldn’t do, and the students who were refusing to be taught.

Matt Jones started his third grade year driving me crazy. He was one of the many boys in my class who had a hard time sitting still for more than a minute. One day a bug had entered the classroom and Matt was down on his hands and knees protecting the bug and by extension disrupting the class. By February I had made a change in my discipline plan and started focusing on the positives. Little did I know this would make all the difference for Matt. I watched as he went from being the squirmy, constantly moving, and talking little boy. To a boy who listened, tried to sit in his seat, and drew me many amazing pictures. Matt improved so much I chose him to be Student of the Month in April. I didn’t make this decision lightly, and I made sure my class knew why I picked him, “I know Matt has made some mistakes and is still not perfect, but he has improved so much in the last few months, I picked him.” When Matt’s name was called by Mr. Smith, to get his certificate and backpack, I couldn’t have been prouder. But, the moment that really sticks in my mind was watching Matt during class time later that day. Matt pulled his certificate out of his new backpack, then out of the sheet protector, looked at it, looked at the other certificate from TGI Fridays, put them back in the sheet protector, and then back in his bag. I knew a difference had been made in his life. At a time when I was questioning why I was a teacher watching Matt helped me realize there is nothing more I want to do in my life than teach.

Six words equaling to three lessons that only make up a small amount of lessons I learned in my first three years of teaching. I’m sure there will be many more learned by my students and myself. They may start with words I can add to my list, or they may sneak up on me quietly and wordlessly. No matter how the lessons approach, I know the effort will be worth it.