When I started teaching public school 11 years ago, I was interviewed for the school newspaper.  It was just a little something they put together every year to introduce the students to the new teachers.  I was asked a few questions and my short (at the time I thought: insightful and humorous) replies were published.  One question was about where I had taught previously, and the follow-up had to do with what I expected would be different about teaching in a public vs. private school.  I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was something to the effect of: “Oh, I don’t think there will be that much difference – after all, kids are kids.”

I have thought about the dual wisdom and non-wisdom of that quote ever since.  On the one hand, kids are kids.  Not much has changed about teenagers in the years I have taught them.  Instructional approaches and philosophies change, but kids remain as perplexing and frustrating and wonderful and memorable as ever.  On the other hand, there is a difference in how kids from different socio-economic backgrounds approach their educational experience.  I was not prepared for that.  I was not prepared to work with kids whose home-lives were sometimes so chaotic and unstructured that it was a miracle they were in their seat at all.  Nor was I prepared for the differences between middle-school teenagers and high school teenagers.  Just a few years can also fundamentally alter how kids act towards and think about school.  I was not prepared to be told to shut up or be flipped off or to be completely and totally ignored.  Keep in mind as well that these are very unscientific observations, and only the result of my own thinking on this topic.

I used to tell my students in private school that it shouldn’t matter to them if they liked their teachers, or if their teachers liked them, or even if they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy whatever subject they happened to be studying.  Their effort and attention should remain the same.  I told stories about teachers that I detested, but still managed to eke out a decent grade by sheer determination and force of will.  I failed to remember that special education students do not share this view.  In fact, I failed to understand it at all until a few years ago.  Special education students, perhaps even more profoundly than their general education peers, need to feel connected to adults on campus. They need to feel that their learning environment is safe, and they must like you.

If they like you they will learn from you.  They will take risks and try new things.  They will work harder than they ever have before.  They will listen to you when you talk to them.  They will not feel as if you are judging them, and they will feel as if you like them back.  They will feel they have a voice.

It is not surprising then that we become their favorite teachers.  They in turn become our favorite students.  In my years of teaching I have had many crazy, amazing, wonderful students.  I have had many horrible students and experiences where I thought I would give anything if the period would only end now rather than five minutes from now.  I have many favorite students, and will hopefully have many more.  I would like to devote some time on this website now and again to tell you about them.

If you don’t write it, it never was.