Reading Reflection 5

The next section of “Teaching Hope” really hits home for me because of the story topics. “Rejuvenation” discusses the special “light bulb” moments that students and teachers both have when finally an understanding, a realization, or even an empowering moment hits. Giving students the tools to let them, on their own, have a light bulb moment is twice as rewarding, knowing that the student has finally grown. Students taking ownership of their own voice and teachers being patient enough to let students explore and discover on their own is really what matters in this transformation of students.

Breaking social barriers in and outside of the classroom is one important piece to understanding your students and allowing them to truly discover themselves and others. One important way to break these barriers is allowing freedom of expression in appropriate ways, one of which is to journal. Through journaling, students can share not only with each other but through a realization of self, coach and guide each other. Making a conscious decision to not quit, everyday, whether it be with your job, your class, your lesson plan, or your students, resolving to never give up is one way to ensure that every day is a new chance at a “light bulb” moment. Sometimes it isn’t just the students that need help. Teachers need to break through our own fears to reach students. “Once I finally broke through these fears, my students delivered on paper in ways I could have never imagined.” (pg. 256)

Teachers, throughout this section, seem to have a motto for teaching and for life. One in the book that I believe captured the section in a very concise way was “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” (pg. 258) There are going to be many things within the classroom, within the school, and even within students that you cannot change. But being able to recognize this and work on the things that can be changed is the wisdom that needs to be instilled in our students in relation to life. Learning that some things in life are different than us, our beliefs, our race, our ethnicity, our gender, etc. will be different in every person. Understanding and empowering students with cultural tolerance is something that brings new and exciting realizations and “ah ha” moments to life.

Experience not just as a teacher but as a human being is how we can grow and learn every day. Teaching our students that life is not just something that we live but something we embody everywhere we go and in everything we do, is one piece of empowerment through knowledge. Knowing that there are things we will face that we need to let go of and things that we just can’t say “no” to is how we can create the safe and caring environment for our students. Succeeding in life and in learning is more than just a passing grade. It comes through those “light bulb” moments, expression, wisdom, courage, and experience of the individual. Choosing these things in life, this path is one route, however we must also be aware of and envision the other, its complete opposite. Knowing there is more than one route to success and more than one path in life is power in and of itself. Believing in our students but more importantly ourselves allows the teacher and student to switch positions for just a moment, experience the other’s life, and come back with the light bulb turned on.