Student teaching has already proven to be the hardest semester for me as college comes to a close. It has taught me to grow up, it has taught me to be positive in all that I do, but more importantly its taught me to surround myself with people that matter. If it wasn't for the three kinds of people that have been in my life in just this one semester, I wouldn't be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel like I proclaimed to earlier this week. So this one is for you guys.
The first people are my family. I feared moving back home. I feared being underneath the parentals and to be honest I dreaded the very thought of it. In all honesty, if I had not moved back home for student teaching, I would not be doing as well as I am. My Dad has been there to keep me on track and encouraged when I needed it the most, and he has been there to take my mind off of things when we play basketball outside like in the old days. My mom has made my life so easy, and I could not even begin to express my thankfulness to her. She has taken care of laundry and had dinner ready every night when I walk in. She has been wonderful to me. My sister... well let's just say she is carrying on my legacy at Southern Miss and making me very proud. Without family, we would be nothing. Surround yourself.
The second group I want to speak about are my colleagues. Every single one of you: Chelsea, Casey, Krystal, Jeremy, Tori, Gertz, Sarah, Miran, and Kelsey. You all have been truly wonderful to work with, and I can not thank you guys enough for helping me out the entire semester. This is the last little bit before we are changing lives and getting paid for it. I am so proud of everyone, as I have seen them grow, along with myself, into professional educators. We have arrived, and this is our time. This is our time to take the world by storm, and we shall do so accordingly. We are products of a program that exudes excellence in every way. We are products of a program that is a cut above. We are products of our own hard work. If you find yourself weary in these last weeks, call me, I'll be your motivator. Each one of these students teachers has encouraged me to be a better person. Surround yourself.
The third group of people consists of a few individuals who have been my encouragement. Kevin, David, my coworkers. Without the phone calls, the support, the random jokes and flashbacks, life would not be as great. You keep me going and more importantly keep me smiling. My positive attitude is a result of your encouragement and support. I just hope that one day I can return the favor. And by the way, Kevin, I was serious about the shotgun after graduation. These people are those that have chosen to be in my life, and that is something that should never be taken for granted. Surround yourself.
The last group is a little different. It is a person or persons that have made a larger impact in my life than I ever realized. People that were once in my life but no longer choose to be. People who I have tried to forget but can't. People who told me I needed to grow up when I did not want to listen. In some instances I am most thankful for this person. I am thankful because I now realize you were preparing me for the real world. You were preparing me for what was just over the hill, while I was too immature to have any foresight. This person affected me and will continue to so. Thank you. Surround yourself.
These people make up the biggest influences of my life that helped me through the hardest semester of school. There is no doubt that without them, I would have failed. This is to let you know that I appreciate you. This is also to bring others to the question, "Who do I surround myself with?" Negative people? Positive influences? Friends? Lovers? Robot dance partners? Dogs? Whatever you surround yourself with, make sure it is something you don't take for granted. Often the people that surround us are the foundation of who we are. SURROUND YOURSELF.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
"Surely you can't be serious."
"I am serious and don't call me Shirley." He looked a little like Karl Marx. He had the wittiness of no one that I had ever seen before. He smelled like coffee and had a beard that made any 18 year old jealous. For those of you reading this that went to high school with me, you probably know who I am talking about. His name is James Willmann.
Sometimes people ask me, "Why in the hell would you want to be a teacher?" I would look at them and tell them that I have always wanted to teach, but just needed that extra push. Mr. Willmann gave me that extra push. The next question they ask is "What are you going to coach?" Whoa nelly. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I'm not looking to be the next kick-my-feet-up-on-the-desk-while-the-students-do-a-worksheet type history teacher. I want children to learn in my class. I want them to start thinking outside of the box and be challenged in ways they thought were impossible. That is what happened to me in the two semesters spent in Mr. Willmann's class. I learned to see through others' eyes. I learned to empathize and work for a solution in which both sides would benefit. I learned to grow.
Our whole lives we are told to think a certain way and not question anything. We are taught to take what we are given and run. Why? Why not learn something new or do something different? Too often we become monotonous products of the environment in which we are raised, something I have deemed the "Breakfast Club Effect." I want to open that door up for my students so that they can become something BIGGER. Something bigger than the middle school they are at or the football team they play for. Leaders within the community, artists that share their talents with the world, everyone, they have something to offer. I want my classroom to be a place where they discover that. If I hadn't discovered my talents and dreams, I wouldn't be writing this blog.
Think back to the last person to open your eyes to something completely new. How did it feel? What was it like to take that step into something you had never experienced before? Did you get a rush? Did you feel like you had gone where you had never gone before? More importantly did you feel at home? This is exactly how I felt the first time I walked into a classroom on the teacher's side. I felt powerful because at the end of the day, I can make or break a student's spirit. On the other hand, I felt that I was a part of something much larger. I was giving myself the chance to do what Mr. Willmann had done for me.
I'm no prophet of teaching nor do I claim to be. I just feel that when one comes across their dream to teach, it is truly something that can help other people out. We are all constant learners. We are all teachers. What matters is whether or not you open yourself up to the change that learning brings about.
Sometimes people ask me, "Why in the hell would you want to be a teacher?" I would look at them and tell them that I have always wanted to teach, but just needed that extra push. Mr. Willmann gave me that extra push. The next question they ask is "What are you going to coach?" Whoa nelly. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I'm not looking to be the next kick-my-feet-up-on-the-desk-while-the-students-do-a-worksheet type history teacher. I want children to learn in my class. I want them to start thinking outside of the box and be challenged in ways they thought were impossible. That is what happened to me in the two semesters spent in Mr. Willmann's class. I learned to see through others' eyes. I learned to empathize and work for a solution in which both sides would benefit. I learned to grow.
Our whole lives we are told to think a certain way and not question anything. We are taught to take what we are given and run. Why? Why not learn something new or do something different? Too often we become monotonous products of the environment in which we are raised, something I have deemed the "Breakfast Club Effect." I want to open that door up for my students so that they can become something BIGGER. Something bigger than the middle school they are at or the football team they play for. Leaders within the community, artists that share their talents with the world, everyone, they have something to offer. I want my classroom to be a place where they discover that. If I hadn't discovered my talents and dreams, I wouldn't be writing this blog.
Think back to the last person to open your eyes to something completely new. How did it feel? What was it like to take that step into something you had never experienced before? Did you get a rush? Did you feel like you had gone where you had never gone before? More importantly did you feel at home? This is exactly how I felt the first time I walked into a classroom on the teacher's side. I felt powerful because at the end of the day, I can make or break a student's spirit. On the other hand, I felt that I was a part of something much larger. I was giving myself the chance to do what Mr. Willmann had done for me.
I'm no prophet of teaching nor do I claim to be. I just feel that when one comes across their dream to teach, it is truly something that can help other people out. We are all constant learners. We are all teachers. What matters is whether or not you open yourself up to the change that learning brings about.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Impact
Impact. People create it and people feel it. What matters is which has the greatest effect on yourself. Do you leave a mark or are you impacted by others? It has been my finding that there is an equal push by both sides, as I would learn on this past Friday.
It was my last day at Magnolia Junior High and it was sure to be an emotional one. Kids telling you that they don't want you to go really leaves an impression on the soul that is hard to forget about. The students left a box full of notes for me to keep as I would be leaving them later on that day. This really impressed me, as most people outside of Moss Point consider the students to be vapid with nothing to offer. Let me be the first to tell you that their encouraging words are what dignifies my decision to teach.
Sure, you had your everyday words of encouragement, but there was one letter that stuck out to me. One letter that made me say, "Wow." One letter that made me feel like I had finally made an impact. It was a boy from my 5th period class. He personally handed the letter to me in a secretive way, almost as if he was scared for me to read it. He exited the classroom right after giving it to me. As I opened the letter, I noticed the neatness, the organization, and the thought put into making this letter look good. As I began to read, I would have to step back and read again. "IDK... but you were like a real dad to me, and I have never had anything close to a real dad."
I almost lost it. When I had first come, the child had a 20 something average and had little hope of passing the quarter. I then traced his steps in the week I was there, and he was making huge leaps and bounds. I was a father figure for this child and leading him in the right directions and had no idea that he was taking notice of that. I had absolutely zero idea that he thought of me in this way. To put it simply, I never knew such powerful words could come from a 13 year old boy.
Later on during bus duty I called the boy over and told him something. I told him that it took a real man to say something like that and that if he ever needed anything that I would be there. What does all of this mean? And what does it have to do with impact? After reading the boy's letter, I knew what kind of impact I had made on him. It was in that moment all of the lesson planning, grading, teaching, explaining, and everything else had all paid off. But what he did not realize was at that moment he left an impact on me. He justified and dignified my decision to become an educator. He made my life's dream have a purpose. Not to receive letters telling me how much of a difference I made, but to know that the students are absorbing what I put out there for them to grab and make a better future for themselves.
What it boils down to is that his impact on me would be far greater than anything I could ever dream to accomplish.
It was my last day at Magnolia Junior High and it was sure to be an emotional one. Kids telling you that they don't want you to go really leaves an impression on the soul that is hard to forget about. The students left a box full of notes for me to keep as I would be leaving them later on that day. This really impressed me, as most people outside of Moss Point consider the students to be vapid with nothing to offer. Let me be the first to tell you that their encouraging words are what dignifies my decision to teach.
Sure, you had your everyday words of encouragement, but there was one letter that stuck out to me. One letter that made me say, "Wow." One letter that made me feel like I had finally made an impact. It was a boy from my 5th period class. He personally handed the letter to me in a secretive way, almost as if he was scared for me to read it. He exited the classroom right after giving it to me. As I opened the letter, I noticed the neatness, the organization, and the thought put into making this letter look good. As I began to read, I would have to step back and read again. "IDK... but you were like a real dad to me, and I have never had anything close to a real dad."
I almost lost it. When I had first come, the child had a 20 something average and had little hope of passing the quarter. I then traced his steps in the week I was there, and he was making huge leaps and bounds. I was a father figure for this child and leading him in the right directions and had no idea that he was taking notice of that. I had absolutely zero idea that he thought of me in this way. To put it simply, I never knew such powerful words could come from a 13 year old boy.
Later on during bus duty I called the boy over and told him something. I told him that it took a real man to say something like that and that if he ever needed anything that I would be there. What does all of this mean? And what does it have to do with impact? After reading the boy's letter, I knew what kind of impact I had made on him. It was in that moment all of the lesson planning, grading, teaching, explaining, and everything else had all paid off. But what he did not realize was at that moment he left an impact on me. He justified and dignified my decision to become an educator. He made my life's dream have a purpose. Not to receive letters telling me how much of a difference I made, but to know that the students are absorbing what I put out there for them to grab and make a better future for themselves.
What it boils down to is that his impact on me would be far greater than anything I could ever dream to accomplish.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
An Awesome Experience
If you would have told me at the end of the summer that Moss Point would have been a key part of my development as a teacher, I would have called you crazy. As the sun sets on this first experience, I can honestly say that I do not really want to leave. I feel as if I have finally made a connection with my students and am leaving them behind for good. It really warms the heart to hear things like, "Mr. Medlin, we don't want you to go," or "Mr. Medlin who is going to BOOM when you are gone?"
What is a BOOM you ask? During review everyday, after a student answers a question correctly, I say in a very loud manner, "BOOM way to drop some knowledge on us!!" They thought I was absolutely crazy the first day, looking at me as Kanye West would say "That shit cray," but it came to be a staple in my classroom. I would walk down the halls and hear random booms from students that were also in the hallway. I feel that I have left some mark here in Moss Point.
What has made this experience great is that I can feel that I have grown as a person from it. In the past, especially the first half of 2012, I was the most selfish person around. In order to change, I had to learn to put the students before myself. This was when I feel that the most growing occurred. It had finally dawned on me that I was not at the center of the universe. I was finally able to move forward.
In conclusion, and if you are still reading, I want to offer up a piece of advice. Go into new situations with an open mind. Love everyone for who they are and learn to work with them in whatever way you can. Keep your guard up but keep your tolerance higher. Different people are going to test you, but meet that challenge with an open heart and you will receive the best results.
Thoughts from an aspiring history teacher,
Mr. Medlin
What is a BOOM you ask? During review everyday, after a student answers a question correctly, I say in a very loud manner, "BOOM way to drop some knowledge on us!!" They thought I was absolutely crazy the first day, looking at me as Kanye West would say "That shit cray," but it came to be a staple in my classroom. I would walk down the halls and hear random booms from students that were also in the hallway. I feel that I have left some mark here in Moss Point.
What has made this experience great is that I can feel that I have grown as a person from it. In the past, especially the first half of 2012, I was the most selfish person around. In order to change, I had to learn to put the students before myself. This was when I feel that the most growing occurred. It had finally dawned on me that I was not at the center of the universe. I was finally able to move forward.
In conclusion, and if you are still reading, I want to offer up a piece of advice. Go into new situations with an open mind. Love everyone for who they are and learn to work with them in whatever way you can. Keep your guard up but keep your tolerance higher. Different people are going to test you, but meet that challenge with an open heart and you will receive the best results.
Thoughts from an aspiring history teacher,
Mr. Medlin
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