It Takes a Village
Our very first summer in MTC, we all heard all about the difference one good teacher can make in the lives of her students. Yet, as I have gone through my nearly two years in Teacher Corps, I cannot help but reflect on the fact that just one teacher could never do it all. Rather, it truly takes a village to educate a child. My village in MTC has included teachers, both at MHS and in MTC, parents, and coaches getting involved in and caring about the success of my students. I would not be half the teacher I am today without the assistance of these wonderful folks.
Fellow Meridian TeachersLast year as an Algebra I teacher, the team of five teachers met weekly to discuss goals, progress, and data, in addition to planning meetings for content and curriculum. I taught across the hall from a third year Algebra I teacher, Kimberly Ridinger, who was my mentor teacher for my first year. Without Mrs. Ridinger's help, I'm not sure I would have survived! She was the department chair for Algebra I in the ninth grade building, and even when our whole group stopped meeting midway through second semester due to our instructional leader being away, she and I continued to meet to plan the entirety of our review for the state test. Together, we created review lessons for every objective in the Algebra I framework and collaborate on weekly tests that started at 19 questions and week by week built up to the full 65 questions that the state test would contain. It is largely due to her support that my students succeeded on the Algebra I SATP2.
The Government/Economics team collaborates significantly less than the Algebra I team did. Same goes for the Social Studies teachers versus the Math teachers last year. Nonetheless, we do have monthly PLC meetings this year with a dissemination of information coming from the administration via our Department Chair, Ms. Vanessa Reed. She sends helpful emails every so often and tries to share best practices without "taking up too much time" in actual meetings.
MTC 2013The love and camaraderie provided by my Mississippi Teacher Corps classmates has been invaluable in my ability to further my students' learning. Raven Scott deserves a particular shout out for helping me with the tough transition to teaching Government this year after having been out of the country for most of the summer, including the first week and a half of the school year in August. We have since gone back and forth sharing resources that we have created, used, and loved--it has been a constant source of help!
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ParentsCommitted and involved parents and/or guardians make a world of difference in students' and teachers' lives. Students need constant support at school AND at home, and without that two-pronged help, some students fall through the cracks. While Meridian High School as a whole has a mix of engaged and very disengaged folks at home supporting our kids, I have done my best to reach out to those parents and guardians who do show an interest and make the effort to be involved. Twice-yearly Parent Teacher Conferences are not particularly well attended (I had 18 of 107 students' parents or guardians show up in February), but I try to make an effort to reach out to all parents regardless of their attendance at such events. Some parents even go above and beyond, insisting on getting my cell phone number to text me for updates. Mrs. Malone was one such parent last year.
CoachesFor many students at Meridian High School, athletics are paramount. Often, the most effective way to reach students is not actually through their parents but through their coaches, who spend countless hours with them every week. Last year when I taught ninth grade, I had an excellent relationship with both ninth grade basketball coaches, Tony Tadlock and Ashley Justice, and I would text both of them with concerns about students. They would also check in, help control behavior, and just generally keep their students on track toward more learning and success. This year I have worked with the varsity coaches some, but they are less responsive than the ninth grade coaches were.
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