Margaret Graham
I am an AACPS: Science Teacher, Chesapeake Bay Middle School | 2018 Teacher of the Year Nominee
It is my responsibility to prepare students for a life outside of school by providing a safe place for students to question the world and make mistakes. In order to provide a safe place, the students need to feel welcome in the classroom. During the first weeks of school I have students participate in activities that allow them to get to know each other and me. If they know that they have something in common with a peer or even their teacher they are more likely to relate to those people and others in the classroom, helping them feel more comfortable when taking risk and participating. During this time, we discuss and decide on rules for the classroom that everyone is expected to follow, including me. This shifts the classroom dynamic; it no longer belongs to the teacher it belongs to the entire class. I would not be a teacher without them, so the classroom is just as much theirs as it is mine. All of this helps to promote a sense of belonging that helps make the classroom a safe place for the students as they struggle through problems, question ideas, and eventually learn.
It is my job as an educator to guide them in their learning and to teach them how to think, question, and learn for themselves. In this digital age it is necessary for students to know how to question. Students are able to obtain “facts” instantly. It is asking questions that leads to change and a complete understanding of topics. It is my job to teach them that they should question everything. I want them to ask questions, to demand reasons and explanations; because when they do they are showing that they are not comfortable with the answers they are being given and want to learn more. This questioning will lead to mistakes and teach them more valuable lessons than if they were just told, this is how it is.
