When the Call & the Passion Collide
Some may say that being an educator is a profession of choice. Others might say that one becomes a teacher because his or her parents or grandparents were teachers. I propose that neither of the two are accurate enough to describe the integral role that educators play in the lives of everyone. Growing up as a child, there were behaviors I was born with, like crying for example. On the other hand, there were many things that were only grasped because someone taught me. Whether the individual doing the teaching had an official title or not, he or she was instrumental in guiding me along to learn the concept, principle or idea. We might say that the teacher(s) made a decision to act, because there was something that I needed to learn, and that they were able to teach me. Naturally, I learned from them. As a kid, I grew up in a very strict household, where my parents expected me to do as I was instructed and that I was responsible for handling my school work. I had the great privilege of connecting with my first grade teacher, who I still admire and respect today. She has a way about her, demonstrating care and concern, yet holding me accountable for anything I did wrong. What's more, is that she had such a great personality and I found much of my interaction with her to be fun and enjoyable. It was her tender-yet-strict-and-caring nature that inspired me. It is inspired me so much so, that I would go back to her classroom every day while I was a student at Hallandale Elementary School, to help her with any items that she needed.
Continuing on through middle school and high school, I would always go back and visit and offer my help to her in the classroom. I graduated from high school with the second highest amount of community service hours as a result of what I would call, my passion to do what she did. This passion might be said to be acting on the call I felt to, like her, be part of the educator community. So yes, I knew somewhere deep down since I was a first grader, that I would teach in a classroom. You might say "that's not possible" or "that's crazy, you are too young to know what you want to do." Well here I am today and I have just completed my 10th year as a classroom teacher. Perhaps the call to teach was always there and my first grade teacher cultivated it, or watered the seed such that I am able to walk in that role today. Nonetheless, I am an educator today, because of her.
So you might be wondering. What is the call? A call is a cry made as a summons or to attract someone's attention. It can also be defined as an appeal or demand for something to happen or be done. It is a powerful force of attraction. So the educator feels a strong pull to interact with students and to see them learn and grow. The educator answers that call by following the path to earn the necessary schooling and ultimately walking into the classroom ready to meet the needs of students he or she will teach. What does the call sound like? Well I propose that there is no sound, but rather there is an inward longing to act, to pass on knowledge, to allow knowledge to be created, to cultivate minds, to empower, to build, to enrich.
What is passion? Passion also has multiple definitions: an intense desire or enthusiasm for something, a strong and barely uncontrollable emotion, and a state or outburst of strong emotion. I place great value in deciding to give something my all. Why do anything half way? If you go into a forest half way, you might as well go all the way, because you'll have to back track that half in order to get out of the forest. Being passionate is not only noticeable but it is contagious. If you are passionate about what you do, consider the passion "electric" and you can't even be near the next person without transference of some electric charge. What would happen if passion became electrically transferred because you decided that you were going in 100%? How would this new passionate attitude transform the mindsets and wills to learn of those you work with? How challenged would others feel to be better based on your decision to be better? The call and the passion can collide into an explosion of robust proportions.
What happens when the call collides with one's passion? There is a huge difference between just being "present" and one who is passionate about what he or she does. The passionate are excited and motivated to embrace challenges, be the counselors, nurses if needed, and get down in the trenches with the students. The passionate understand the value of learning so much so that he or she will continue to learn and grow to become better at his or her job. The passionate does not allow complacency to set in because he or she knows that students are the ultimate recipients of all of the hard work put into education. The passionate engages and interacts with other educators to develop and collaborate through professional learning networks. The passionate develop their craft or skill through professional development avenues such as conferences, workshops and social media designed to learn. I would say about a month ago, I really begin to learn a lot about the amount of opportunities there are to learn that was not previous privy to. I happened to jump on Twitter to create an account and hopefully connect with other educators. From that decision to develop myself by connecting with others, that led to Voxer educator groups and most recently my first EdCamp (EdCampMagic) on June 4, 2016. I learned so much through this initial interaction with other educators who all shared similar passions and stories for why they do what they do. I will attend my second camp, EdCampVolusia on June 11, 2016 and another on October 8th, EdCampTampaBay.
When you think about an outlet used to transfer power through a cord, we the educators are extension cords that are plugged into the source, whether directly or as an extension of someone else's cord. The power of connection is just that, power! We have the power to change the world when we answer the call and are passionately in pursuit of continued development.
Going the Extra Mile
I am so grateful that I have been able to complete yet another productive year of teaching and learning with my students. As this is certainly not my first rodeo, I understand that in this day and age, students experience so much pressure to succeed and do well but often lack the proper support systems with which to manage the challenges that they face from day to day. What does that look like? It could be the girl or boy, who has both parents at home, but needs extra support that may or may not already be provided to them. It might be that teenage kid that is the product of a single-parent home and the parent is doing all that they can to support them. It might be a child who does not have a very good relationship with his or her parents and is looking for a model or a mentor. It may be that child that likes what they see in you, and seeks to emulate who you are and what you do, but lacks the steps necessary or the knowledge necessary with which to take those steps. It might be the child who has both parents in the picture, but living in two different homes. Lastly, it could be that well-supported child, with both parents providing aid to him or her, pushing them to do their very best, but the child still looks to you to be their guide. Whichever the experience, it is never a bad thing for an educator to go the extra mile. This is what I will discuss here, with anecdotal input regarding the unrelenting need that called my name this year.
Have you heard the phrase "To whom much is given, much will be required?" It is one thing to quote this but it is another thing altogether to see this idea pan out right before your eyes. Let's just say that I wear many hats at the school where I am currently an educator and next year, I will take add a few more to the hat rack. I am in my fourth year at this school, and clearly arriving at the said school was no coincidence. It might be the view of some that teachers are in their profession for the benefits, summers and holidays off and to collect a paycheck. A generalization at best, teachers are not always given the praise for the admirable job that they do. It is one fraught with many challenges from year to year or even from day to day, but some intrinsic motivation or voice compels the educator not only to answer the call to teach and facilitate learning, but to go back every day with a renewed passion to bring hope, light, strength and empowerment to the students he or she teaches to be the absolute best that they can be. There are no limits, except for the ones set forth in the mind of the child, which could be as a result of what he or she experiences, or doesn't experience.
So, what does it mean to "go the extra mile?" The idiomatic phrase could encompass a variety of different tools, strategies, tricks, or tactics demonstrated by the educator to bridge gaps, support students in their learning, bring hope or light to a challenging situation or simply put a smile on a student's face. This is where I would like to mention the first story, of which I shall not mention any names specifically. Last school year, I had a student, who we shall call Student A, that came to me with challenges in the Language Arts content area, and I immediately begin to work with the student to grow them to a level that was consistent with grade level expectations. Things were progressing nicely but as the year went on, I began to learn of other challenges faced by the student that may have placed limits on learning. I decided to get involved and act as another support system for the student, who would hopefully come to me when help was needed, and to make some good of a difficult situation. As a result of the extra time that was spent with this student, the demonstration of care and concern and the establishment of an unofficial mentoring relationship with the student, there was a complete turnaround. Not only was there an increased motivation on the part of the student, the student academically began to excel, and while not completely out of the woods, was making great strides to get there. The parent was thrilled with the change in the behavior because I simply took time. I found myself attending extracurricular activities to support the student as well as devising ways to interact during the school day. This was a win, because I decided to go the extra mile.
I must say that I love diversity and all that it brings to any situation. It is great to learn from others and our experiences and viewpoints are all so varied and meaningful. That said, I have noticed that students tend to look for those that they feel they can relate to at school. That may mean that girls will cling to warm, inviting female teachers or that minority students may look for minority teacher representation within the school. This is not division in any way, but simply their search for a model to pattern themselves after. The second scenario I will share is another student who I taught, but then returned to me in a different capacity for support. This student was dealing with the challenge of balancing life with mom and dad, who lived in separate home situations. In addition, the student was on a search to understand or learn who they really were. The student in question had been having behavioral challenges at school, because he was trying to fit in, balance home life, school life, and at the same time, facing the quest to identify himself. I stepped up the plate in this situation also. I listened to him, allowed him to come to my room during times of need and even to take a break from the norm. The student became very comfortable with coming to me when a talk was needed, or when help was desired on an assignment, a speech, or talking through a problem orally. I have taken time outside of school to interact with the student in a mentoring capacity due to the nature of the need and the expressed interest by the parents of the student to form this mentoring relationship. How has it helped you ask? Well, not only have I been labeled as "uncle" now, I receive hugs almost every day or the student is sure to come and greet me daily. In addition, his achievement has skyrocketed and the students I currently teach are able to look up to the student in question. Another win here for going the extra mile. I could have not taken the time, but consider how that may have negatively impacted the student, who, might I add is very intelligent with tremendous potential.
Being an educator is not easy for obvious reasons, therefore being a passionate educator that is willing to go the extra mile is not as common as it should be. Consider how things might change for all parties involved if the student(s) felt supported. There is much more to be gained from such an experience than what may be lost.
Go the extra mile. It might just light the fire in a student that is not easily extinguished.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this blog. Please feel free to comment or contact me on twitter, @dene_gainey.
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The Power of Quotes (Words)
Communication is a social skill that is integral to the existence of any individual. How we communicate is in part, determined by the bank of knowledge, in this case, the depth of vocabulary that we have. Is the point to use language that is above another's capacity to understand? Absolutely not. However, there is a certain power in the words one chooses articulate his or her intentions. There is power in what you say. In fact, there is power in saying what someone else has said.
One of the key pieces of my classroom is writing, one form of communication that I practice and dialogue with students about all year. Though sometimes it is considered a cumbersome task by students, it 
is a necessary life skill, to be able to write, and for a variety of purposes. Expository or nonfiction writing is writing that reflects what has happened, or might explain the rationale or history or reason(s) for something occurring. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how to explain and elaborate. Also, since this is not a narrative form, often lacking the flair of figurative language, it is necessary for the writer to develop this form of writing as well, and using quotes is a great and powerful way to do so.
Dissecting quotes and understanding the meaning behind them aids students in determining whether a quote might be relevant in writing and how it can be used to engage the reader and/or listener and solidify the intended message. Consider the quote below.
"Words are like paint in which the writer becomes the artist and creates a masterpiece.” – Dene Gainey
In that quote, words are being compared to paint, and metaphorically, writing is being compared to artwork. In this way, the writer can now form an explanation to support how this statement applies to his or her writing, furthering the explanation and engaging the audience, prompting them to think as they read. Quotes are powerful and modeling this power for students will enable them to not only notice the power of quotes (words) but begin to manipulate words themselves.
The C.L.I.M.B.E. Philosophy
As a tree "climbs" and produces fruit, so does this philosophy. You might be wondering, what is the C.L.I.M.B.E. philosophy and how does it pertain to education? I firmly believe that there is a need for role models, mentors and individuals to make a difference in their area of influence. How then, does this philosophy apply? This is an idea that I have been developing over some time. Students must have insight, wisdom and guidance for the future of society and them individually. It is important that the knowledge and experience that one has is shared with others, otherwise it is simply knowledge that you will leave this world with. I am a lifelong learner.