Meaningful work

As a teacher, I strive to use the district curriculum as a springboard for assessments and assignments that may resonate into meaningful assignments. Students need to learn to think, to challenge, to apply their learning beyond the moment and the classroom to the world in which they live. They need opportunities to connect to this world.

Last semester, my American Litters learned about the history of America and its infant stages of government and politics; they questioned our current systems and issues within them while being exposed to timeless literature that paved the way. They read about war and the realities of it . . . then and now. The semester closed with a guest Marine Sgt visit to answer their questions about what we read and examined, their questions about their futures and our future as a nation.

My honors Sophies tread a different path within their short story unit last quarter. While learning detailed terms and techniques, they read a myriad of stories the raised questions about concepts they felt so certain: equality, trust, love, and more. They wrote editorials that revealed alterations in their perspectives on these issues. Real life applications occurred in their original short story compositions for a targeted audience: second grade readers within our district. After gathering data on their intended reader, researching second grade sight words and refining many drafts, my sophies tackled illustrations and bound their original work to present in person to their preassigned readers. The children's book assignment afforded my sophies an opportinity to think beyond themselves while practicing the terms and techniques we analyzed for weeks. It also expanded their world for a moment spreading a morsel of joy in this harsh world for a moment.

Currently, all of my Sophies are amidst a non-fiction unit themes malleable and non-malleable obstacles within the communities that surround us. They have spent weeks examining the issues that often inhibit functionality in this world while reading, analyzing, and discussing articles from the news in print and online. They are learning about this world, this nation, this region, city, and school. More importantly, for their research paper, they are analyzing one of these obstacles, what's been done within communities to resolve or adapt to it, and what must be done now or in the near future. They are becoming reformers: learning about issues, posing referendum to reduce them in their world. The final civic addendum to this project is a required letter to an individual in a position of power posing each student's very recommendations for change. What is the worst that could happen? A reduction in racism in schools? A new community initiative to offer crisis intervention to parents? Who knows? But why hide the creative ideas insighted by data collection from the world? My students have a voice, and they need opportunities to use it.

Today was a challenging day in my teaching world. I experience an occasional sense of burden and weight while I struggle to maintain my workload for the classes I teach and the classes I take. I am earning my Master's degree in Teacher Leadership. Contrary to vocalized beliefs, I am not solely buried in this program for the thousands and thousands of dollars I will earn with it. The cost currently outweighs the financial gains and will for many years to come. I am in the program because teacher leaders are a priority in my district, and honestly I did not see myself as one until recent days. How can I offer more opportunities for learning to affect our future generations? By sharing what I do with other teachers . . . perhaps you.

Choices surround us everywhere we turn. Rather than complain about the complacent attitudes of society, I choose to act, to educate, to teach both students and teachers. I choose meaningful work.