Such a notion is certainly not to be found in teaching.  After that disaster that is delicately referred to as “Ms. Yos’t first year” (with a delicate pat from mentors, colleagues, and administrators), I feel I have come a long way.

 My students have challenged and continue to challenge me to become a person of higher integrity, greater insight, deeper understanding, clearer articulation, gentler disposition, and one with more effective organizational skills - God bless hanging file folders and all their tidy glory!

Looking back, it’s clear why my first year was such a bust.  Well, there are truly a number of reasons: alternative certification, although extremely effective as a method of learning-as-you-do, does in fact leave you naked on the battlefield those first couple months; seeing 180 students in six class periods is illeagal in my district for a reason; culture shock is, well, shocking; and I was still very immature in many ways.

 Regardless, if I could boil my failure down to one single methodological blunder it would be this: I attempted to forcefully push my students into their seats (figuratively, of course!) and push knowledge into their brains.  In effect all I did was push them down.

And, just as any self-respecting human being would do, they fought back.  I think now they fought for dignity and voice and power.  Back then, I just took it personally.  All these things (dignity, voice, power), I now ensure my students have from day one and every day following, so that they won’t have to prove anything.  When necessary, I remind the class to show others the same respect I show them.  When necessary, I take a student out into the hall and remind him or her to show me the same respect I show each of my students.  The results have been magical.

 I have finally, after two years of trial and error and scrutinizing reflection, established a deeply positive culture within my classroom, in which students are respectful to me and respectful to each other.  We’re a community of readers and writers, with genuinely helpful feedback for one another’s work.

I could not, however, have developed this environment had I not continuously revised my thoughts, attitudes, and approaches to teaching.  I’ve listened to everything other teachers (published or ranting) have had to say, and developed my own organic pedagogy.  I know it will keep evolving to fit new students, situations, technologies, developments in research, or personal growth and insights.  I just hope I retain this passion and enthusiasm for education as long as I am in the field.