Creating Change: Baby Steps

This last weekend I had what became an invaluable experience.  I was able to reach out to students who I had had limited connection with, and reinforce the bonds I had with students already.  I didn't have to spend a dime, but I did have to commit some serious time, and not just my own also that of my boyfriend.

The Venue for Prom. (source).

This past weekend was Prom, and the week before that was Spirit Week.  While I was helping the head coordinator of student council drum up staff enthusiasm for assisting at Prom, which was moving slowly, I didn't think too much about it.  I decided that it wouldn't really matter one way or another if there were teachers there, we were just people to keep things safe and appropriate.

My boyfriend was awesome enough to volunteer to help out too, I appreciated this because of his willingness to help as well as having company on the drive home.  We arrived four hours early to help set-up, spoke with kids, stood on ladders, all the necessary things.  Prom went well, students greeted us and were pleased to meet my boyfriend.  They were polite and excited, and then prom was over.

When I arrived in school on Monday the dynamic in my classroom had changed.  The students were quieter, more relaxed, and happier.  They asked if we had had fun, they talked about how happy they were to have met my boyfriend.  They were happier, and are still happier, because now not only do they know I care about them and making certain that they have good fulfilling lives while in high school, they know that the people I care about care about them as well.  I had not expected such a positive response, but it is definitely present and appreciated.

Later on that Monday I helped hand out free hotdogs and hamburgers to any kid who wanted one with the Principal, one of the Asst. Principals, a councilor, and the Goodwill Outreach coordinator.  In spite of there being an invitation for all teachers to participate, I was the only one to volunteer my time.  Which made me wonder about how we as teachers ask for community involvement, or complain of our parents not being involved, how involved are we?

How many of us live in the same town we teach in?  How many of us step up and help out when that email goes out and calls on us to do so?  And how many of us are true leaders, not just in our classrooms but in the greater community?

(source).

My new goal, thanks to this awareness, is to volunteer for one school event every week.  If I believe that parent involvement is essential to build school community, increase awareness of school needs, and ultimately increase school funding, I need to step up and be present and there for my students and their parents during events and extracurriculars. 

We as teachers need to lead by example.  Not only in our classrooms but also in our school community.  The payoff in terms of classroom management and student happiness is worth it on its own.