Cultivation

As teachers it is our responsibility to cultivate our students experiences. 

Kids do not always come to us with the tools they need to learn what we have to teach them. They may not be cognitively ready or they may lack the language and vocabulary needed. Often they lack the back ground knowledge to always understand what we are talking about, especially when we are introducing new material. 
While they sometimes cannot relate to us, are they alone in misunderstanding? Student experiences often consist of things that we would rather not think about, never mind actually experiencing them. 
Abuse. Drug Use. Malnutrition. Neglect. Violence.
We cannot change what happens in these kids homes, short of reporting extreme neglect or abuse. But there are things we can do. We can give students positive experiences. We can show students that they are not alone, and that we care.  
 The definition of cultivate is prepare and use, for agricultural use. When you are cultivating land, you often have to add good things to the land that you've got. Fertilizer must often be added, along with water, and of course, seeds. While our students may not be where we need them to be when we get them, we need to add enough positive experiences, viable connections, and tools to prepare them to leave our classrooms.
As teachers, we have to help the students that we are given. We have to help our students to cope with not always perfect lives and teach them to cultivate their experiences, because only through experiences can true retained learning occur. 

Why watching Television can benefit your students...

When I come home in the evening and find myself lost in Comedy Central's Daily Show with Jon Stewart, I am learning not to feel too guilty. I am a chronic workaholic, as most teachers probably are, because lets face it.. there is literally always something else your could be doing to better prepare yourself for your students.

My first year teaching, during our first staff meeting our Principal told all of us that we needed to take time to go get a pedicure. He was a 50's aged man with a coaching background, so needless to say, I couldn't take him seriously. But he was right. As teachers we all must take time for ourselves so that there is something left for our kids.

At the end of some days, you will come home physically and emotionally drained. You will have nothing left to give because greeting 200+ smiling (or not) faces everyday is hard work. That doesn't even take into consideration the actual teaching part. Knowing all of your kids strenghts, weaknesses, likes, dislike, modifications, accommodations, and people they will sit next to willingly while still working takes a LOT  of brain space.

So its okay to be tired. It is important to take time out for yourself. Take a bath, watch a game, go on a walk, water your flowers, or watch Comedy Central, because in the end, you cannot take care of your kiddos with out taking care of yourself too.

Why being Awkward is Excellent

I have always been awkward. It is pretty much the only thing that comes natural to me. I am perfectly ok with it, however other people often aren't.

This might help me to relate so well with the kids I teach, since they are essentially in the most awkward phase of their lives, (which also just so happens to be one of the most life deciding phases in their lives). 8th and 9th graders. Even the 'cool' kids are super awkward. I just love them.

I have learned to just embrace my awkwardness. It has taken me a really long time, lots of tears, and gradual acceptance of myself to realize being awkward is perfectly fine, if that is who you are. And if you are who you are... You are way happier.

Every day I witness my beautiful students battling with their own awkwardness, geekiness, dumbness, smartness, ugliness, all of which are self imposed titles because they feel they are supposed to be a certain way! How sad is this? That 12, 13, 14 year olds are throwing their perfectly perfect unique selves away to fit into a mold that is terribly worn out?  I am over it.

Is it hard to put forth extra effort to embrace the awkwardness? What a difference it could make to our beautifully imperfect children, to know that someone loves their awkwardness. They are appreciated for who they are when they come in the door.

I love the thing below... not sure who made it, but its awesome!