Goal for This Year

My goal for my students during this year is that they will gain ALL that is possible for them to gain under my educational care to be fully prepared for success in their future.

My most painful thought as a teacher is that my students may not reach their full potential.

This goal leads to an obvious question - What is Success? I've known many people who are financially well-off, and who have careers they sought and acquired, yet they are not fulfilled and satisfied in their lives and are not functioning at full potential. So, how can I, as a 4th grade teacher, provide a year's worth of training to move my students toward a position of true success?

I believe true success is deeply rooted in relationship. In fact, I think a person who has positive relationships is successful beyond any level that career and financial gain can ever permit. I know that my job as an educator is to prepare my students academically, but I also cannot ignore the relational and emotional damage that many of them already experience. I must work toward nurturing safety and love as a foundation from which learning academic skills may grow. I've been teaching long enough to see that my students who have unstable and frightening living situations are also those who struggle academically. I've also observed that the learning is much more effective when the child has a sense of safety and stability.

From the book, Failure Is NOT an Option, by Alan M. Blankstein, the following statements are shared:

“The relationship among the adults in the schoolhouse has more impact on the quality and the character of the schoolhouse – and on the accomplishment of youngsters – than any other." Quote by Roland Barth 2001 (p. 58)

“Students felt cared about and respected, teachers shared a vision and sense of purpose, teachers and students maintained free and open communication, and all parties shared a deep sense of trust.” (p. 58)

“Relationships are at the core of successful learning communities as well as
student success.” (p. 58)

“Stated simply, positive relationships are essential to a child’s ability to grow up healthy and achieve later social, emotional, and academic success” (p. 59)

I have felt this personally, in powerful ways. When I'm stressed in a major way, it becomes MUCH more difficult to think clearly, concentrate, and retain information.

All this said, my goal is to work more deliberately on forming positive relationships with parents, students, and fellow staff. I will begin this at our back to school orientation where I will explain these findings to parents. I have devised an activity in which parents and students will share thoughts (individually and independently of each other), concerning favorite classes, hobbies, struggles, hopes for this school year, etc. They will then come together to share their thoughts. I have a feeling that while many of their views will be similar, they will learn some things about each other that will cause them to be closer and have more of a shared vision for the coming year. I'm excited.