Warm Demander

When I taught 3rd grade, I had one student who the 2nd grade teachers warned me about.  Each lady would walk the halls and check out the rosters of their coworkers and offer words of "encouragement" on how to handle the students and/or their parents.  When they saw J's name on my list, all I heard was lock up your purse, don't turn your back on him, stay on your knees in prayer, etc.  Because of my nature and my strive to be the best around , I decided that I would reform J.  He would become a model student and I would show those teachers that every child can be a success.

I will not lie...that school year was not easy.  J had built some walls that were hard to tear down.  He truly believed that he was "stupid". He also believed that because he did not have a family that spoke English,  he would never measure up to his native English speaking peers.  I didn't give up and during the year my focus changed from how I could save him to giving him skills to save himself.  I knew no matter how far we came that year,he would most likely have a teacher, the next school year, that would see him as less than.  J needed to build the resilience to stay focused on the task and to have that inner drive to persevere.

By the end of that school year, J passed the EOG and had been identified as Academically Gifted in Math.  He couldn't believe it and soon he was walking around class with a swagger that made me smile.  He would approach his classmates and ask them if they needed help, in math, and to my surprise his classmates would welcome it.  J and his classmates had began to see J as I saw him way back in August...as a student who had so much potential and more than enough to share with others.

I wish I could tell you a happy story of J going off to college and writing me a FB post of how I had changed his view of life way back in 2004.  I can't.  I followed up on him, yearly, finding his teachers at conferences in our district.  I heard things were starting to go downhill in middle school and by high school he was in and out of the alternative school.  I lost track of him a few years ago but I truly hope that he did graduate high school.  I wish that he could have seen himself like I saw him.  A young man full of potential but I have discovered that until the person can see that reflection, you are just providing them a glimpse of who they are...and a glimpse can only go so far.

As I read the article below, I realized that they termed what I did for J and countless other students (and adults) is the role of a warm demander.  Who was (is) that warm demander for you?  Are you filling that role for the kids in your class (life)?

Please take 5 minutes to read this article.  I promise you it will be the spark needed to help you finish the year strong!

The Warm Demander: An Equity Approach: 'Warm demander' teachers expect great things from their students, convince them of their own brilliance, and help them reach their potential in a disciplined, structured environment.

Week of April 18-22, 2016

Observations will continue for homeroom teachers
3rd-6th Grade Teachers: By Friday, April 15th-- You should email Mrs. Lett with your outline/theme of your "Banner" that will represent your class during the 4-week span of EOG Boot Camp, along with any supplies you may need to create the banner.

Monday, April 18

• Assistant Principal Interviews (Hill, Salisbury, Caine, and Paddock)
• ELA PD: Independent Studies will be completed. Classroom teachers will need to bring their guided reading plans with them to complete peer review. K/1: 10-11; 4th-6th: 11-12; and 2nd/3rd: 12:15-1:15
• SIT Mtg at 3:30
• Board Mtg at 5:15

Tuesday, April 19

• Progress Monitor Students in red
• Hill Out from 8:30-3:30 at NC Principal Ready Mtg in Fayetteville (can be reached via text or email)

Wednesday, April 20

• Deadline to sign up to attend the dance
• Progress Monitor Students in red
• Math PD PLC- K/1: 10-11; 4th-6th: 11-12; and 2nd/3rd: 12:15-1:15
• Beginning Teacher Mtg at 3:30 in Falls's Room

Thursday, April 21

• Hill Out At Conference
• EC PLC at 12

Friday, April 22

• Spring Pictures-Only students who prepaid will have pictures taken
• Spring Fling
• Hill Out At Conference
• From EOG Email: Friday, April 22nd-- Email the outline/roughdraft of standards that will be focused on during EOG Boot Camp. (standards should be chosen based on student performance, data director assessments, performance series, etc.)

Next Week...

Midterm Grades Due on Monday, April 25th at 8:00/ No Exceptions!!!!

From EOG Email: Friday, April 29th-- Standard break-down per day that will be covered. (for the following week)