Teaching with Love and Rebellion - 2018 EdTalk

                                                    Teaching with Love and Rebellion

                                                   (2018  CA Teachers Summit EdTalk)

 

“I hate school. I hate teachers even more. They don’t care whether or not I learn any of their irrelevant information anyway, so why should I listen to them or even care about school? It’s obviously not meant for me.” 

 

This is the recurring message that I’ve heard voiced in multiple ways from students in elementary through high school. For most of my own school years I felt the same way. But why, why do so many students feel this way? What is happening in classrooms to make them have such negative feelings toward education? 

 

Yes, it’s true that many students come to school with a variety of emotional and behavioral problems; and although, it is necessary for teachers to become equipped to provide effective supports, we need to understand the root of these issues and ways that we ourselves may be worsening or even causing the trauma in the first place. 

 

We know that meeting student’s emotional needs is a huge issue because school districts spend large amounts of money bringing in specialists to train its teachers on classroom management using Social-Emotional Learning, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. All of these programs tell us of the importance of human relationships. We all want to form these meaningful relationships they tell us matter so much. We all know this is necessary, but how?  

 

Teachers receive multiple trainings, read the books, watch the videos; and yet, it’s often still not enough for us to figure out how to relate to students in ways that heal, let alone manage disruptive behaviors. Hostile classroom environments and toxic student - teacher relationships have led to an era where schools have difficulty retaining both teachers and students. Teachers are often perceived as the enemy and schools are becoming increasingly more like prisons. 

 

With all of the knowledge we have regarding meeting the needs of our students, why aren’t we? 

 

First, we must realize that our students are not problems to be fixed. They are simply responding to teachers and their surroundings in ways that make sense to them.

 

Second, programs, no matter how well designed they may be, are ineffective without capable and authentic people behind them that know how to realistically put their theories into practice. 

 

And third, we must address individual student’s needs holistically. We cannot delete humanity from our agendas, but instead, see each of our students for who and what they actually are … human beings. 

 

Believe me, I know this is extremely hard to do, especially when you have a schedule to follow, standards to teach, and a curriculum to get through. But the less time we take developing trust, the more time will be lost dealing with disruptions.   

 

If we truly intend on meeting the needs of every students, we must avoid looking at students through a deficit lens, blaming their home lives for their anti-social behaviors; and instead, start looking at ways that we can help all students discover their assets. Teachers must be aware of the ways they may be contributing to student’s trauma with our actions.

 

It is time for all of us as educators to begin doing some soul searching of our own by looking inward at our true intentions. What brought us here, what keeps us here? What can we change about our attitudes and teaching that can improve our student’s educational experiences while also strengthening our relationships? 

 

We need to ask ourselves the hard questions; do we enjoy teaching? Do we actually like our students? Do we respect them culturally, academically, and otherwise? Do we believe that all students deserve equitable opportunities to learn? If your heart is truly in this work, then teach holistically, using your heart, mind, spirit, and soul.   

 

My hope is that through this self-reflective process you will find your reasons for teaching and continue your journey toward improving your practice. 

 

For many of our students, they simply want to be taught by adults who care. It is amazing what young people will do for us if they like and respect us. But for students that have experienced trauma or have mental health issues, the need for acknowledgment and support is even greater. 

 

I will share an example with you, it was about two months into the school year when a boy named “Pablo” was “administratively” placed in my class after being kicked out of multiple schools. He had a history of violence, anger, and aggression toward both students and adults. Because of his history, district administrators, a behaviorist, social workers, and psychologists frequently visited my class to give me tools to help the student. In my rebellion, I disregarded everything they tried to tell me and followed my instincts. The first thing I did was welcome him into the class with joy - initially it was forced, but necessary. Then I made it a point to introduce myself to his mother and make her my ally. Over time, I developed a close relationship with his family, and found out that his father was in jail for murder, along with a number of other traumas. 

 

Did this make me feel sorry for him and make excuses for his behavior? No, it made me feel compassion toward him. It made me create a space where he could express himself in ways that were not harmful to himself or others. I had to learn to be more patient and understanding of his needs while maintaining a safe learning environment for all of the students. Initially they were afraid of him, but eventually they got to see Pablo for the smart, sensitive young man he was. 

 

Pablo even stopped fighting during recess and developed friendships. The behaviorists and psychologists stopped visiting. His grades were good, and he made it through the rest of the school year without getting suspended. 

 

Sometimes it takes us teachers to do what is right for our students regardless of what we are told we have to do. I didn’t do anything special to get Pablo to improve his behavior. I simply took the time to get to know him and his family. I treated him as though I knew nothing of his past experiences but showed him ways to cope. 

 

More students than we know have either experienced some type of traumatic event or live each day in dysfunctional environments which we know can affect them in a variety of ways. The way we choose to address these students, or not, can have lasting implications.

 

This is the power of a teacher. You can either hurt or heal.  

 

This idea that education can be used to empower is what brought me to teaching and transformed me from a rebellious student into a rebellious teacher.

 

Teaching with rebellion means giving students control of their learning in ways that engage and motivate them. It includes teaching the sometimes painful and uncomfortable truths about our world, and themselves. It means teaching the standards using relevant materials. By creating safe classrooms that promote inclusion and individuality, students gain agency and regardless of where they come from, can begin to develop their narratives into more hopeful and encouraging stories.    

 

Yes, there will be times when it’s necessary to address difficult behaviors and classroom disruptions; just try to consider the student’s perspective. Take the time to understand the underlying problem. Talk to your students. Talk to their families. Don’t be so quick to judge and react but see what they are trying to communicate.  We can’t be afraid to have explicit, honest conversations with our students. Share who we are with them. We can learn what students need by taking the time to observe, by listening. Sometimes it’s necessary to be angry, send them out of class if you must, just make sure that you react in fairness, respect, and love. 

 

A teacher’s greatest responsibility, by far, is to teach students to love themselves. By showing them love and humanity we are showing them that their lives are valuable. The hope is that they will in turn learn to love others. 

 

Because for many of our students the message they hear day in and day out from society is that they are bad, worthless, ugly, stupid, feared, and unloved. We can help erase these messages from their minds and replace them with messages of real hope for today and the future.      

It is time to bring some love into the design of our schools, classrooms, and curriculum.  

 

A wonderful thing about education is that every hour, every day, and every new school year begins with new possibilities and opportunities to create greatness within our classrooms. So when you are standing there, looking at your students, imagine yourselves sitting in your own classrooms? What were your needs at that age? Try to understand what your students require of you. See them, hear them, teach them, laugh with them, be genuine with them, and by all means, love them.

 

Thank you.