March Madness
January 1, 1970
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Welcome to Issue Two!
March Madness
March means many things to teachers. For those who teach younger students, it is an opportunity to teach about "roaring in like a lion and leaving like a lamb." For those who teach older students, it means increased preparation time for AP exams, spring fever, and more sporting events than the school calendar can handle.
March is also a time for educators to think about heroes and how we are heroes,too. In this month's newsletter, you will find an article about Hazel Haley, the Iron Woman of education. You will also learn about how to let your students know that you care for them. On the practical side, you may learn a tip or two about how to control the noise levels in your classroom.
Finally, if you want to reach out to your collelagues in Enterprise, there is contact information for donors.
The Teacher as Hero
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others, at whatever cost.” ~Arthur Ashe
Have you ever received a thank-you note from a student who told you that you made a difference in his or her life? If you have, you are one of the fortunate. Being a teacher is not a career that is noted for award ceremonies or high salaries or even perks that other professions take for granted such as adequate supplies.
Teaching is not easy. While we teachers toil in the present, our hearts and souls are firmly set in the future. Everything we do is geared to making someone else’s dreams come true. In this way we are heroes according to the legendary Arthur Ashe. We think of others first; we serve others. Our focus is outward.
Last spring, a true hero left her classroom for the last time. Hazel Haley taught English for sixty-nine years in Lakeland, Florida. Sixty-nine years.Fifty-four of them were in the same classroom. She estimates that she has taught 13,500 students in those years.
In a time when most new teachers do not last more than five years in the classroom, Miss Haley’s extraordinary story is remarkable. Why would anybody remain in the classroom that long?
According to Miss Haley in an interview in the Miami Herald, “My inspiration every day comes from the satisfaction of being with these young people. You know, they give you so much back that is stimulating, exciting and fun, and that every day I will miss. That’s been an integral part of my life for most of my life. I depend on it. It’s not approval,…although sometimes I get that, and sometimes I don’t. But it’s a life force. It’s an energy that comes from the children that nothing else can replace.”
Miss Haley is a hero for all of us who sometimes wonder why we teach. On those days when nothing goes right and it is difficult to recall our motivation for choosing such a (sometimes) difficult career, Hazel Haley’s steadfast determination to serve her students makes her a true hero.
“Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And, years later tell how they stood for hours in the cold rain just to catch a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us who keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.” ~Spiderman II
Tornado Relief Efforts for Enterprise High School
No teacher could have watched the events of March 1, 2007, in Enterprise, Alabama, without a heart burdened with the knowledge of what such a disaster means to the students and staff of a school. If you would like to offer assistance, here is some information from the Enterprise Ledger.
“• Enterprise Parks and Recreation Department on East Lee Street is accepting donations for brown paper bags, Ziploc bags, canned drinks and fruit, such as apples and oranges. Items still needed include baby supplies, coloring books, blankets, batteries and radios and hot food for volunteers and disaster victims.
• Enterprise Alabama Tornado Fund opened through CB&T Bank. Accepting monetary donations for tornado victims. Call 1-877-598-4584 or donations can be sent to: P. O. Box 311245, Enterprise, Ala., 36331.
• Anyone who wants to assist the victims of Thursday’s tornadoes can call the Governor’s Volunteer and Donations Information Line at 1-877-273-5018 or visit www.ServeAlabama.gov.
• Financial contributions made to the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund through www.ServeAlabama.gov or by calling 1-877-273-5018 will go to assist Alabama victims affected by the disaster whose losses are not covered by insurance or Federal Emergency Management Agency claims resulting from a disaster or emergency.”
How to Let Your Students Know You Care
(from First-Year Teacher’s Survival Guide, Second Edition)
You can have the most fascinating lesson plan in the world, but it will not work if your students believe you do not care about them. A good teacher-student connection will make everything in your class run smoothly. Without it, nothing will.
Students of all ages need to feel that their teachers like them and approve of what they do. Fortunately, there are many ways you can show how you care about your students:
• Agree with your students as often as you can.
• Set responsible behavior limits for everyone and be fair when you enforce these limits.
• Use a kind voice when you speak with your students.
• Listen to all of your students. Encourage them to share ideas and opinions.
• If one of your students is in the newspaper for something positive, clip out the article and display it.
• Stress the things you and your students have in common: goals, dreams, and beliefs.
• When a student speaks to you, stop and listen.
• Maintain a birthday calendar for your students. Celebrate birthdays with birthday messages on the board.
• Attend school events. If your students play a sport or perform in a concert, go to show your appreciation for their hard work.
• Use good manners when you deal with your students and insist they do the same.
• When students confide in you, follow up. For example, if students have told you that they were worried about a test in another class, take the time to ask about how they did.
• Be very clear with your students that you want to help them achieve their dreams.
• Ask about a student’s family. If you know someone is ill, show your concern.
• Show your sense of humor. Laugh when funny things happen in class—particularly when they happen to you.
• Speak to every student each day. Leave no one out of class discussions.
• Write notes to your students. Use plenty of stickers and write positive comments on their papers.
• Pay attention to your students’ health. If students need to go to the clinic, send them. When students have to miss several days because of illness, call to see how they are doing or send a get-well card. Be prompt with homebound work.
• Use this sentence to convey your concern: “What can I do to help you?”
• Talk with students when you notice a change in their behavior. For example, if normally serious students seem to be neglecting their work, find out why.
• Take the time to tell your students what you like about them.
• Take photographs of your students and display them.”
A Noisy Class
(Adapted from First-Year Teacher’s Survival Guide, Second Edition)
Do you worry about the noise level in your classroom? Even the best-behaved and high-achieving classes can occasionally be too noisy. Here are some tips to help you keep the noise to an acceptable level.
• Never talk over noise or shout to be heard in your classroom.
• Don’t allow noise to get out of control. Once students are very loud, you will have to take extreme measures to get them to stop being noisy. You’ll find it easier if you begin to control noise levels as soon as class begins.
• You should not try to assume control of a noisy class without enlisting the cooperation of your students. Ask for suggestions from your students about how to manage noise.
• Some noisy activities are just not okay. Teach your students that it is never acceptable to talk during a movie, talk when you are giving instructions or lecturing, shout at any time, talk during a test or other quiet activity, or talk across the room to classmates.
• When you plan activities that have the potential to be noisy, consider moving to a part of the building where you can’t disturb other classes.
• Don’t plan group work activities without teaching students how to control the noise level of their groups. One way to do this is by using distances as measurements. For example, students should find a one-foot voice useful for working in pairs and a three-foot voice useful for working in groups. When you give directions for an assignment, tell students the acceptable noise level for the activity.
• Model the noise level that you want from your students. If you speak softly, your students will follow your lead. If you shout, you will dramatically increase the noise level in your class because students will see this as permission for them to shout, too.
• Be consistent in enforcing the noise levels that you expect from your students. Set reasonable limits and stick to them if you want students to learn how to manage their own noise.