It’s Not About the Standards–Its About the People

I am an AACPS: Teacher, Northeast High School | 2019 Teacher of the Year Honoree

I believe that all students need to feel cared for before learning can take place. Understanding where students are emotionally and intellectually allows me to meet them on a level playing field.

When they know you care it is so much easier to teach them new and challenging concepts. I love what I do and want to make sure all of my students are having fun. I often cringe when I see standards as a measurement for success. Sure we need a way to navigate curricula and decide what topics to cover but once they walk across that stage it’s not about the standards its about the people they have become. Can they interact positively with their peers? Can they problem solve? Are they capable of navigating life on their own? I believe that if my students leave our class better people, then I have done more for them than grades ever will.

When I began my career as a teacher, I wanted to make every lesson about discovery and problem solving. My first assignment was as a substitute teacher for a sixth-grade science class. The school was a title one school at the time and the facilities were in need of upgrade. The students were labeled as rough with lots of behavior problems. I came into the position about half way through the year. Immediately upon starting I remember looking at the curriculum guide and worksheets and thinking no wonder they have problems these worksheets are from 1988 when I was a student at this school. I immediately started designing activities that required the students to work as a team. They had to design labs and solve problems when thing s did not work. We went outside as much as possible to learn about everything from muscles, heart and lungs to photosynthesis, food webs and food chains. One of my favorite challenges was to purify (through distillation) water with no electricity or internet searches. I can remember a veteran teacher telling me they will never figure that out if you just give them a bunch of materials. They not only figured it out they came up with some amazing designs. Oh, and those problem students never seemed to show up. I have applied this template throughout my career and no matter what the standard for learning is, I have found that when students do, students learn.