Fighting For Students, Not With Them

Today I spoke with a student who expressed to me he did not plan to graduate. I asked him what his plan was, long term. He seemed shocked that I asked him- not in a condemning tone, or by getting my "I'm a teacher and I know better" voice on- but in a genuinely curious tone. "I don't know."  He kind of looked like it was the first time he'd been asked that. I told him that as long as he was still in school, I wanted to know how I could help him do a little better, find some way better serve him as a teacher. I asked him to think about those ways I might help. As he walked away, I don't know if he was thinking about what I said, or just moving on. But I'm going to ask him, repeatedly, if he has found something that I can do. 

Round one. 

In that one moment- by accident, intuition, or something else- I did not admonish him for chooding the "not graduating" path. I expressed genuine concern. And by doing that, there was no escalation, the fight that began was for the student, not with them. 

Daily, students try to push my buttons. Just like the do every teacher. Sometimes, I fight back, I give them what they want, even if it is negative attention. Other times, my laid back attitude pays off and I start a conversation that has a chance to reveal the kryptonite to a students barriers. 

What does fighting for a student look like?

I tell my students regularly that I believe in them, that I know they can do it. I try to ask them what I can do better- because I am not perfect. I fight for them by ignoring behaviors that I know are just for attention. I fight for them by trying not to  take it personally when they talk over me- sometimes I succeed. I am working on being better at standing up for the students who are afraid to stand up for themselves. I genuinely like my students, and I want them to know it. I strive to earn their respect, not demand it. And in those moments when I need to demand their respect, I will have it. 

But one of the biggest, most practical ways I fight for my students is to try to find tools and techniques that will help struggling students succeed. I suggest things like flash cards, or using reviews, and I am working on videos of lectures they can view at any time. But I am still relatively new at this. 

So, teachers- what advice can you offer me?  What tools can you share to help me fight for my students?

What Do You Do?

The following is an imaginary conversation, FYI. 

"What do you do?"  

"I teach US History and Psychology."

"Oh. But what do you actually DO?  Architects design, doctors heal, lawyers build and argue cases, athletes compete, bus drivers transport, custodians clean, dentists terrify people. What do teachers DO?"

"Well, the short answer is I try to give students information in a way that allows them to retain said information."

"And the long answer?"

"Well, where do I start?  See, I have to learn about a topic. If I'm lucky, it's one I like. That means I have some background information on it to build on. If I'm not lucky, it is some obscure person or event or concept or book that about 12 people in the world are interested in- and none of them are my students. So, I have to learn an interest in that topic- learn, not feign, because students smell fake from a mile away. Oh, I have to learn that topic well, because one of those 12 people has about four degrees in this topic and wrote a few books and- more concerning for me- maintains a blog that comes in as the number one result on Google that my students will immediately find (because we are a "Bring your own device" campus) and correct me on. This will hurt my cred."

"Cred?"

"Credibility. See, I also need to know most slang. And cred is actually old now, so I would have had to deal with students mocking my out-of-touch wording. That means I have to redirect- teacher speak for stop chasing the rabbit and keep focus.  This takes a lot of quick thinking- 'How can I connect back to the important but obscure topic in 30 seconds or less?'"

"Wow. That's a lot to-"

"I'm not done yet. See students today have two needs- one they want to see fulfilled and the other they don't. They need to be entertained. This one they want. So, I have to make the lesson over the obscure topic interesting, fun, relevant, and relational. It is kind of like being on stage, live and you do four to six shows a day. And fourth period is the matinee show, so it's packed, and the 'audience' is hungry and or sleepy. You have to be more on point then than any other time. But the other need is rigor- teacher speak for challenging material- so I cannot just go through the motions. I have to ask insightful questions, pose questions that expect students to evaluate and investigate and create and synthesize the information. Because there will be a test they are expected to perform well on."

"So, I guess you hate tests?"

"I'm not a huge fan, but they are a necessary evil. We need to know what students have learned. What I don't like is the weight they carry on teachers. We have to take the tests seriously, but not teach to them. I feel kind of gross when I realize I am getting more concerned about students passing the test than I am students gaining interest in that obscure topic."

"But didn't you just learn that topic?"

"Yes. But you know what?  What better example for the students than for me to have actually started to care about the obscure topic I just learned about?  I am showing them that even an "old" person can learn new things. And the truth is, now there are 13 people who care about the topic, because now I kinda dig it."

"More slang?"

"No, that one is clearly me. See, you asked me what I do?  I try every day to get my students to fall in love with the subject matter I teach. But that's hard to quantify. So, I tell you the other stuff first, I draw you into a conversation, then I reveal how much I love what I'm taking about. If I am successful, I have built a relationship with you where you like and respect me enough to want to know the obscure topic because you like and respect me and I care- truly care- about the obscure topic. By the way, if I demand a student's respect but never actually try to earn it, I will never have it.  I have the unique and awesome responsibility of caring for twenty to forty students educational and emotional needs for an hour at a time. And then when I see them at their jobs or at their events or at the mall on Saturday I have to still show them I care- not because it's my job but because it has become who I am- I care about these students far beyond 8:20 to 3:45. I am concerned and hopeful for their futures, excited for their successes, heartbroken for their failures, and there for them when they need someone.  What do I do?  Everyday I design lessons, heal students who are hurting, build and argue both sides of opinions, compete for students' attention, transport students from lacking knowledge to understanding and application, clean up misconceptions and wrong answers and often the floor beneath their desks, and when behaviors demand it, I have to try to terrify people."

"Oh.  Wow. Ok, why do you do this?"

"Because it is so worth it."