Reflection 3.7

A Good Job Makes a Difference

I interviewed a friend of mine that is a 7th and 8th grade teacher at a middle school in a rural area Northeast of Salem. She estimated the average, gross, annual income for a family in her district to be around $40,000. Using this information I created the following spreadsheet to determine a budget for a family who owns their house (making $40,000) and a family who is renting a house or an apartment (making $30,000):

It is important to note that I did not figure in any expenses related to children activities (such as sports, dance, music, etc.), clothing expenses, medical expenses (co-pays, emergency room trips), savings, or various "surprise" issues such as needing to call a plumber, replacing tires on the car, etc. This exercise reinforced to me that as a teacher you have to constantly keep all aspects of your student's family in mind. Economics play a large role in the relationships a student may have with other students and also the way a student will respond to me as a teacher.

Achievement

The most basic form of achievement for me would be every student passing my class. This would show me one of two things: all of my students were really smart that year or I was an effective teacher. Regardless, if everyone in my class receives a passing grade (after being assessed appropriately in a way that measures their understanding of course objectives) that would be an immediate form of achievement for me as a teacher.

Another way I would feel like I have achieved as a teacher is if my students come back and visit me after they get promoted to high school. This would be more possible at a campus like North Marion where all the school buildings are located on the same campus. A student taking the time to drop in just to say hello and update you on their current activities shows that you made a connection with that student.

Finally, the ultimate sign of achievement for me would be having a student come back after they have graduated from college, or even just receive a note or graduation announcement from a student. It would mean even more if it was a student that had no plans to attend a college or university before they took my class. For that matter, it could be a student letting me know of any success in his or her life - perhaps his or her success would be having a happy marriage and children or devoting time to helping the homeless at a mission. Any proof that I actually created a relationship with students that made them realize that they can accomplish their goals and their self-worth would be the ultimate form of achievement for me.