Freeky Friday: Teach the Children

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Welcome to another great summer of Freeky Friday! We're kicking off this year with this lovely topic:

What's the best thing that's happened to you over the last year? Get creative with your answer! It can be something you experienced, something you witnessed, something you participated in, something you realized...the possibilities are endless!

Well, Freeks, it's been a hell of a year! A lot of amazing things happened around me, but I think I can sum it all up in one sentence: In 2012, I learned how to be a teacher.

It all started with my student teaching placement at a public school in Manhattan. This school is unlike any other I've ever seen - it brings together students who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, CODAs (hearing students whose parents are Deaf), "SODAs" (the school's nickname for hearing students who have a Deaf sibling), and hearing in one learning environment. We also have a high population of students with disabilities. Keep in mind that it's still a New York City public school, so these kids don't come from the same happy pre-fab suburban upbringing that I came from. They are typically lower on the socioeconomic spectrum, come from historically disadvantaged minority groups, and may not have a solid educational background either from their previous schooling or their parents.

It has been the hardest job of my life - a diverse population leads to a greater challenge of differentiating every activity and providing equal access to everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, hearing status, language modality, IEP status, etc. On top of that, my cooperating teacher is one of the most difficult people on the planet (I say that with nothing but admiration). From my first day there, I was writing lesson plans, planning the curriculum, organizing powerpoints, working with the kids, and teaching. Now, I've lectured before. But until I got to this school and met my CT, I didn't know just how little I knew about TEACHING. I thought it was all about being an expert in the field - I didn't know how little my own knowledge or skills with the language mattered. A wise man once told me that master teachers do 25-35% of the actual work; the rest, they turn onto the students. In addition to student-centering everything from vocabulary practice to in-depth critical thinking projects, I also learned just how involved in these students lives a great teacher needs to be. During parent teacher conferences, I watched my CT ask about parents' health, students' performance in other classes, and siblings I had never met. The standard was set. From basketball games to school trips, I embraced the school culture and committed to these kids. And they embraced me back. I love my students. I am genuinely invested in their lives. And along the way, I've done a pretty bang up job teaching them ASL.

The conclusion to one of my favorite observation lessons - captioned for your convenience.

In the midst of working my ass off, I managed to write a nearly 70-page thesis about foreign language anxiety, finish a full course load of classes, and graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University. Again, none of this would have been possible without the continued ass-kicking encouragement provided by my CT and my program director. There were a few other people to blame for my success, too. My cohort was tight knit, and we made it through together.

So of course, this all leads to one more thing - after student teaching for a year, writing a thesis, and graduating, I have accepted an offer to teach full-time at a private school in Brooklyn! The school caters exclusively to students with learning disabilities, and I'm really excited to continue my efforts towards creating a fully-accessible classroom. The faculty seems so nurturing and supportive, the kids seem just as crazy as my public school students, and the school really believes in their ASL program! I know I couldn't have made it this far without the support of my cohort, mentors, family, and friends, and I am eternally grateful to the people who have been here for me the past two years! Celebrating my successes with you has been some of the best few weeks of my life. Thanks to you all, I am going to be a teacher. How could that NOT be the best thing that's happened to me all year?!

But special credit needs to be given to one person in particular: my cooperating teacher. So Anthony, if for some crazy reason, you ever end up reading this, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making me who I am today. You tested my limits, drove me crazy, and caused me a nervous breakdown or two, but you taught me just what I am capable of: editing iMovie projects while lesson planning for the entire week, with some kind of baked good in the works and a craft beer in my hand. Under your guidance, I have learned how to be a teacher. Thank you.

What's the best thing that happened to you this year?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

• Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
• Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
• "Like" the  Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of June, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are four more Fridays in June, so you can be entered to win up to twelve times!


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Come on back next Friday, June 15, for and answer this prompt:

What's the best thing about summer in your neck of the woods? Any fun local activities or traditions?