It’s my 12th picture day of my 12th year of teaching. Quite an accomplishment, if I must say so myself.
My 10th grade World History students are well into their first Unit, having just completed learning about Greek and Roman democracies, and now creating posters about the different forms of government. Using the posters, they filled out a graphic organizer to differentiate the differences.
In my 12th grade IB class, students are still working on their internal assessments. No real “teaching” will happen for about another 2 weeks, since these research papers are mostly student-driven, with of course instructor input.
It’s been 12 years in education, and I can say I’m most comfortable when I’m in my classroom doing my thing. I try to teach my students the American dream, that they will earn whatever they want in life, and that most things in life are merit-based. But I’m starting to realize that isn’t always the case in the real world. Sometimes, the outcome is influenced by things that have little to do with how hard you work or how well you perform. Whether it’s the internal politics of a school (which I have never really been able to navigate well), or the “rigged system” against most Americans these days with rising prices – it’s no surprise so many young people are being allured by the prospects of socialism.
Still, I don’t want my own experiences to change what I teach my students. I’ll continue to encourage them to work hard, take pride in what they do, and pursue the things they believe they have earned. And I’ll continue to try to do the best I can for my students, despite the pitfalls of failure.
