This week I sat through our yearly beginning of year Convocation. I watched as teachers were being commended and given the coveted title of TEACHER OF THE YEAR!!!
Now that I can no longer be nominated for this title I sat back and reflected what warrants a teacher of the year? Of course the students have to love him/her, they have good test scores, and they get along with all the staff. Sounds good right?
I started thinking about my first year of teaching way back in 2002 and how I secretly wanted to be teacher of year some day. I thought that would be the day I said, "I have made it in the teaching world!" As the years went by I volunteered for numerous committees, sat on the board for teacher organizations, and worked after school programs all in hopes of getting that big nomination.
The nomination did come around year 6 or 7 and sadly I felt zero excitement.
Why? I realized that I didn't need my peers to tell me I was doing a good job I needed it to show in my students!
Those of you that read this and know me well can agree that I don't always follow the rules. I don't break the rules but if I see an opportunity to make something happen I will not stop until it is accomplished. Some people call it stubbornness, I call it passion!
I may have not followed my team's lesson plans to a T, most likely I thought up a cool project that my students actually enjoyed. I may have not posted my TEKS exactly like everyone else, but my students still scored well on test. I may have not sat quietly in the back of a room during a meeting, instead I spoke up and suggested a new way to solve a problem. I may have given that problem student a different assignment so that he could be successful and that assignment may have been totally different than the other kids'. I may have called parents too often but they knew that I cared and that their child could do better. I may have volunteered my team mates and co-workers to help me plan crazy but fun fundraisers for the students.
And I may not have been labeled teacher of the year, ever.
However, a parent walking up to me 3 years after I had their child with tears in her eyes telling me that I was the reason her son is successful feels pretty good. Or the parent that says "You were the first teacher to ever call me from the school" feel pretty good. Or the co-worker that lovingly says "You are on crack you have so many ideas!" feels pretty good. Or the principal that emails me at the beginning of the year and ask me to make signs for all the new staff because she knows I will without question. Or watching the student who had her classmates speak for her at the beginning of the year successful stand up and give a speech in front of the class feels pretty good.
So as far as I am concerned I am happy to never be crowned Teacher of the Year! I would rather be known as teacher my students think about years after they have left my classroom.
So all of you teachers out there don't be upset if you don't get nominated or crowned Teacher of the Year this year, those moments will come when you least expect it and will leave a lasting impression on your heart!
