I love my teacher

I love my teacher He is full of life I love my teacher He doesn't cause any strife I love my teacher For he is full of light I love my teacher He is always bright I love my teacher For he doesn't get in a fight And, I love my teacher For he tells me to look on the side that's bright

The Creation of the Teacher

The Good Lord was creating teachers. It was His sixth day of 'overtime' and He knew that this was a tremendous responsibility for teachers would touch the lives of so many impressionable young children. An angel appeared to Him and said, "You are taking a long time to figure this one out." "Yes," said the Lord, " but have you read the specs on this order?" TEACHER: must stand above all students, yet be on their level ... must be able to do 180 things not connected with the subject being taught ... must run on coffee and leftovers, ... must communicate vital knowledge to all students daily and be right most of the time ... must have more time for others than for herself/himself ... must have a smile that can endure through pay cuts, problematic children, and worried parents ... must go on teaching when parents question every move and others are not supportive ... must have 6 pair of hands. "Six pair of hands, " said the angel, "that's impossible" "Well, " said the Lord, " it is not the hands that are the problem. It is the three pairs of eyes that are presenting the most difficulty!"

The angel looked incredulous, " Three pairs of eyes...on a standard model?" The Lord nodded His head, " One pair can see a student for what he is and not what others have labeled him as. Another pair of eyes is in the back of the teacher's head to see what should not be seen, but what must be known. The eyes in the front are only to look at the child as he/she 'acts out' in order to reflect, " I understand and I still believe in you", without so much as saying a word to the child." "Lord, " said the angel, " this is a very large project and I think you should work on it tomorrow". "I can't," said the Lord, " for I have come very close to creating something much like Myself. I have one that comes to work when he/she is sick.....teaches a class of children that do not want to learn....has a special place in his/her heart for children who are not his/her own.....understands the struggles of those who have difficulty....never takes the students for granted..." The angel looked closely at the model the Lord was creating. "It is too soft-hearted, " said the angel. "Yes," said the Lord, " but also tough, You can not imagine what this teacher can endure or do, if necessary". "Can this teacher think?" asked the angel. "Not only think," said the Lord,. "but reason and compromise." The angel came closer to have a better look at the model and ran his finger over the teacher's cheek. "Well, Lord, " said the angel, your job looks fine but there is a leak. I told you that you were putting too much into this model. You can not imagine the stress that will be placed upon the teacher." The Lord moved in closer and lifted the drop of moisture from the teacher's cheek. It shone and glistened in the light. "It is not a leak," He said, "It is a tear." "A tear? What is that?" asked the angel, "What is a tear for?"

The Lord replied with great thought, " It is for the joy and pride of seeing a child accomplish even the smallest task. It is for the loneliness of children who have a hard time to fit in and it is for compassion for the feelings of their parents. It comes from the pain of not being able to reach some children and the disappointment those children feel in themselves. It comes often when a teacher has been with a class for a year and must say good-bye to those students and get ready to welcome a new class." "My, " said the angel, " The tear thing is a great idea...You are a genius!!" The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there."

Teaching is a dynamic, demanding, and rewarding profession. Each classroom is a microcosm of our larger communities and within that space the hopes and aspirations for our future prosperity are cultivated. There is constant interplay in a classroom between individual knowledge, experiences, learning styles, social relationships, and curricular goals. It is the teachers ability to integrate these variables that creates daily opportunities for success. In addition to deep content knowledge, teachers should know how to motivate, inspire and challenge their students so that they move beyond the comfort of performing acceptably and into the power of accomplishing excellently. Planning lessons, analyzing student work and progress, collaborating with other teachers, and enhancing ones own knowledge - all require work beyond the school bells ring. Teachers should reflect upon their instructional practices and consider the needs of their students on a constant basis. Being charged with the education of our youth demonstrates the ultimate trust and confidence of our communities. It is edifying to know that a teachers work enhances the economic and social vitality of the community. Yet, what holds the greatest reward for a teacher, is witnessing the intellectual and personal growth of students and the moments when their expressions reveal a new confidence in their abilities. In strengthening the teaching profession I should provide collegial support grounded in a personal conviction to fulfill my potential. I believe the efficacy of professionals is enhanced by joining together and assisting each other, so it is best to engage in collaboration in many ways. On my campus, our grade level team gathers formally for bi-weekly meetings. We analyze student work and assessment data, establish differentiation and modification plans to meet the needs of our students, and pool our resources in order that our talents are shared not only with our own classes, but with all of the children in our grade level. I approach these meetings with a spirit of partnership and an acknowledgment of my own accountability to each member of my team. My colleagues know my strengths and limitations and I know theirs. The cohesion and trust that has developed within our group is evident in our willingness to recognize areas of need, to work towards solutions, and to support one anothers best efforts to implement them.

Beyond my school site, I collaborate with twelve other kindergarten teachers in a professional learning community. As co-leader of our group I guide our work around language arts instruction. I have been able to share my best practices, to learn new strategies, and to delve into topics which concern our local population. We worked specifically on creating tools for writing instruction and we developed genre-specific rubrics for use as instructional and evaluative instruments. It was our goal to norm our expectations for student writing and to enhance the writing abilities of our students so that, upon entry into first grade, they would be prepared to use the characteristics of different genre in their writing. Our work was successful and we will continue to refine these tools this coming school year and then share them with the rest of the kindergarten teachers in the district. Early in my teaching career, I benefited from the mentoring relationships I formed with seasoned teachers. Their willingness to share their experiences and to be constructive critics enabled me to quickly learn how to manage my classroom and meet the demands of teaching. I have since had the opportunity to mentor other teachers as a BTSA Support Provider, as a Literacy Coach for teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and as a Curriculum Resource Teacher for teachers from kindergarten through eighth grade. This past year I welcomed a veteran teacher into my room for the duration of the second semester and helped to improve her instructional delivery and classroom management skills. Each of these positions had its unique approach and presented its own challenges but the intended outcomes were always to enhance the teachers practice and to improve student learning. It is very gratifying to encounter teachers I have mentored and hear of their ongoing success. Teacher accountability and the evaluation process is certainly a hot topic and one that currently divides school administrators and teacher unions. As professionals, teachers are hired to do specific jobs and it is appropriate for employers to evaluate and teachers to be held accountable to the quality of their work. The instruments used to make that evaluation should measure teaching practices and effectiveness using fair and objective means. The current evaluation form used by my district utilizes the Standards for the Teaching Profession as the basis for rating teacher effectiveness. I think this format could be enhanced in two ways. Currently, teachers are rated as either satisfactory, needs improvement, or unsatisfactory. By adding a fourth rating of exceeds standard, the opportunity for encouraging, acknowledging, and rewarding exceptional work is provided. Secondly, adding numerical values and weights to each

of the evaluated standards and assigning numerical ranges to each evaluation rating would allow a quantified analysis of a teachers performance. The weights would define the degree of importance of one standard compared to another, while the ranges would delineate a teachers level of accomplishment within the standard. These expansions to the current format would make clear the standards and expectations by which accountability is implemented and judged.

In Honor of Teachers by Ronald Reagan

Teachers, You are the molders of their dreams The gods who build or crush Their young beliefs of right or wrong. You are the spark that sets aflame The poet's hand or lights the flame of some great singer's song. You are the god of the young, the very young You are the guardian of a million dreams

Your every smile or frown can heal or pierce the heart. You are a hundred lives, a thousand lives. Yours the pride of loving them And the sorrow too. Your patient work, your touch Make you the goals of hope Who fill their souls with dreams To make those dreams come true.

I wanted to teach my students how to live this life on earth. To face its struggles and its strife and to improve their worth. Not just the lesson in a book or how the rivers flow, But how to choose the proper path wherever they may go. To understand eternal truth and know the right from wrong And gather all the beauty of a flower and a song. For if I helped the world to grow in wisdom and in grace Then I feel that I have won and I have filled my place. And so I asked your guidance, God that I have done my part For character and confidence and happiness of heart.

James J. Metcalf

I want to teach my students how-To live this life on earth, To face its struggles and its strife And to improve their worth.

Not just the lesson in a book,

Or how the rivers flow, But to choose the proper path, Wherever they may go.

To understand eternal truth,

And know right from wrong, And gather all the beauty of A flower and a song,

For if I help the world to grow

In wisdom and grace, Then I feel that I have won And I have filled my place.

And so I ask your guidance, God

That I may do my part,

For character and confidence And happiness of heart.

Professional Ethics of a Teacher

Teacher and teacher education both are body and soul. For developing professional ethics, teacher and teacher educators must be able to distinguish between philosophy of education and philosophy of teacher education and also the difference between social and historical frameworks of the teaching profession. At all events a teacher has to be an example for his/her students and society and therefore the value system he/she holds should be clear, precise and ethical. A teacher should be honest not only when he stands to gain by being honest but in situations where he/she is likely to suffer a loss. In such cases his/her conscience to do the right thing must determine his/her behaviors. He/she must exemplify the dignity of labor and professional commitment, however stressful the circumstances may be. A teacher must be an embodiment of eternal values -values that remain the same however much the circumstances may change. Truth, love and goodness are values that are admired across creeds, cultures and religious. A teacher should be conscious of the accountability to profession of teaching by being accountable for effective teaching and effective learning of student. A teacher is accountable to the society and this aspect must be channeled through an appropriate hierarchy of competent professional authority. In Hinduism Gum lias was greater than the parents. As a result he/she must deserve this position in the society. Apart of these the profession of teaching reflects a high degree of academic excellence, repertoire of (caching skills and practical wisdom on the one hand and a wellintegrated value system on the other in the words of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. "In our ideal life we must touch men and all times through the manifestation of a truth which is eternal and universal.

I Am a Teacher I am a counselor and psychologist to a problem-filled child; I am a police officer that controls a child gone wild. I am a travel agent scheduling our trips for the year, I am a confidante that wipes a crying child's tear. I am a banker collecting money for a ton of different things, I am a librarian showing adventures that a storybook brings. I am a custodian that has to clean certain little messes, I am a psychic that learns to know all that everybody only guesses. I am a photographer keeping pictures of a child's yearly growth, When mother and father are gone for the day, I become both. I am a doctor that detects when a child is feeling sick, I am a politician that must know the laws and recognize a trick. I am a party planner for holidays to celebrate with all, I am a decorator of a room, filling each wall. I am a news reporter updating on our nation's current events, I am a detective solving small mysteries and ending all suspense. I am a clown and comedian that makes the children laugh, I am a dietician assuring they have lunch or from mine, I give them half. When we seem to stray from values, I become a preacher, But I'm proud to have to be these people because... I'm PROUD to say "I am a teacher." ~Stacy Bonino~

ESSAY

ON

SCHOOL-COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Tina Repetti-Renzullo - McKinley School

School-Community Involvement I love the teaching profession and have found many ways to give back. I had the unique opportunity to participate as a delegate to the Oxford Round Table in England in the summer of 2005. The focus of the convention was on a childs right to read. We meet over the course of a week to hear academic papers presented, to learn the outcomes of literacy programs, and to discuss best practices. Upon returning to my school, I shared the Socratic style of presentation we had utilized at the conference with our middle school English teacher. She and I then worked with her classes to teach them this manner of discussion. I have been a BTSA support provider, have been a member of, secretary for, and chairperson of the School Site Council, and have been an active member of the PTA. To strengthen family involvement in school, I established Literacy Week at Field Elementary School which culminated in Family Literacy Night. On the designated night, families came to school to celebrate reading for enjoyment. School board members, teachers, and local business professionals read aloud to attendees. For the past two years, I have given a talk at the November PTA meeting on how to have a productive parentteacher conference. In the presentation, I share strategies and tips for holding a detailed, substantive discussion, as well as how to manage situations that become emotionally charged by keeping the focus on expected student outcomes. I also maintain a classroom materials loan program for the families of my students. Children and parents regularly check out books, games, puzzles, and toys for use at home. Students and parents frequently share with me stories of the time they spend together using these items. Even former students return to continue the check-outs! To instill in my students a sense of responsibility and citizenship we undertake service projects. When the relative of a school staff member was called to active duty in Iraq, my class wrote letters to his battalion thanking them for their service. In December, we visited a nearby retirement home to sing holiday tunes and share juice and cookies with the residents. It was a memorable event for both the students and the retirees and weve been invited to return next year. With the help of parents I installed the Kinder Garden. All one hundred twenty-six kindergarten students participate in planting, tending, and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Students bring home the harvest to share with their families. Participation in the garden has helped establish greater respect for school property. Our class regularly engages in campus clean-up and on walking field trips we clean up trash along the way to beautify our local neighborhood. These activities have helped my students gain an appreciation for their role as members of our local community.