MAKING IT EASIER TO BE A BETTER TEACHER

PEN MONDAYS

What’s a “Why”?

It could be the satisfaction of seeing students finally understand a concept or a tough homework problem. It could be seeing your students work together to solve problems and put aside differences to help one another.

It could even be that you’ve seen the worst that this world has to offer and it pushes you to show your students an example of what a good human being is, an adult who cares and wont take advantage of their innocence for their own gain. 

No matter what your “why” is, setting it as your north star is how you determine what success looks like for you and your classroom. Your “why” is your mission statement, and in a perfect world, all that you do inside & outside the classroom aligns with that goal.

At the PEN Weekly, our mission statement is to “make it easy for you to be a better teacher”. All that we do is geared towards that.

Don’t have a “Why”, yet?

What if you don’t have your “why” yet? That’s okay! Everyone’s “why” is different, and everyone learns what it is in a different way. Your “why” is something that only you can answer.

If someone else can tell you what your “why” is, ask them for the next Powerball lottery numbers too ‘cause it seems like they know everything!

Jokes aside, we can’t tell what your “why” is either. But we might be able to help you get there! In today’s issue, Naomi from the UK shares with us how patience & careful persistence can change the heart of a student, even if it can take months!

Naomi’s Story

Having always worked in low socio-economic schools with many vulnerable students, Naomi had experienced her fair share of heartbreaking stories and tough days in and out of the classroom.

There are times when you get a good look at a student and for some reason, your teacher-sense starts tingling and you know somethings up.

In every case, there’s a right way to approach it and there’s a wrong way, and Naomi could tell that for this student, the right way was consistent and affirming encouragement to help them know that her classroom was a safe space for them.

Naomi tells it best.

“I made it my mission to show them that they were safe at school and we were there to help. I asked this student everyday for at least a term if they were ok and the answer was always yes until one day it was ‘You're right miss, it's not ok and I am not ok, but I can't tell you why’. So I expressed that when they were ready I would listen and the school would help. So I continued my persistence everyday until 4 months later, when the student said ‘I'm ready to talk to you this morning about why I am not ok’.”

Once the student was able to safely disclose what the situation was to the right authorities, Naomi just knew that she made a difference .

Naomi’s “Why”

Naomi is a teacher, educator, friend, all of the above and everything in between. Her work as a teacher has her teaching in classrooms with vulnerable students, from all walks of life.

For all of us here at the PEN weekly, we’re sure that those students are lucky to have a teacher like Naomi. Whatever a child may be going through, having someone in their corner, even in the form of daily check-ins to make sure they’re OK can mean the world to a student, and can change their lives.

Naomi is most certainly right. Teachers aren’t just teachers - you are the unsung heroes that have the ability to impart knowledge, mold minds, and change lives every singe day.

The Teacher Experience Podcast

Did you know that Naomi & her friend Jess have a podcast? They discuss related topics and interview educators and teachers that are making a huge impact in the lives of their students. Click on the image above & give it a listen! (especially Season 3 episode 14! 😉)

Thanks for taking the time to read the PEN’s Monday edition. We’ll see you on Wednesday to talk Tech & Research that matters to YOU as an educator today.