Great successssss!

As in many aspects of life, it's the little things that make the biggest differences.  I was fortunate to have many successes this year but, like my "failures", I do not tend to hold onto them for very long.  Dwelling on a specific success could lead a teacher to think that he or she has things under control.  I have seen the result of this mindset and it is chaos.  At the end of the day, if I want to come back the next day, I consider that a success.  I felt that way almost every day this year.  That was my greatest success of the year. 

In terms of individual student performance, one particular instance stands out.  As students were filing into the classroom I was straightening papers that had just been turned in and greeting students with my daily, "Buenos días."  Most students mumbled their responses and continued on their way to the bookshelf to pick up their workbooks.  One student responded with a pretty clear, "Buenos días" of his own. 

Sensing his interest, I decided to push it further.  "¿Cómo estás?" I asked him.

"Muy bien," he responded mechanically.  Not bad I thought to myself, but that's just practice, no real comprehension yet.  "¿Y tú?" he asked me.

Well played, Jalen.  He hadn't been thrown off yet, or intimidated by the back and forth.  "Pues," I replied, "Tengo hambre."  (I'm hungry)  This should get him.  I responded using a different verb. tWe've already discussed how he is doing.  This is where conversations with students, even in English, can get awkward. 

And then... he wowed me.  "A mi también," he replied, rubbing his stomach in the classic hungry motion and taking his seat.  It was great.  A well-thought out back and forth, student engagement, student interest and application of what we have learned, and a positive student-teacher conversation. 

Anyone that has studied foreign language knows that the most difficult part is often utilizing what you know in a conversational setting.  I know that my students know vocabulary words and they know the process for conjugating a verb.  But, none of that really matters if they can not put their knowledge to use in a conversation.

We work hard everyday to further our students' knowledge, to engage them in lessons, and convince them to buy what we are selling; that someday it will be important in their lives.  I'm not looking for a student to translate Don Quixote, I'm looking for a student to come in, take the information provided, make it his own, and someday use it for his own benefit and enjoyment.  I actually got to witness this moment and it carried me way past lunch. 

Comments

[Annah Kuriakose]

This is a really good example of the kind of success I talked about in my post. It might not make any sense for someone who isn't a first-year teacher in a critical-needs school district to understand why this was such a huge deal for you. I mean, it's awesome when kids learn anything at all, but those 'wow' moments are BIG. It's also amazing how one incident like this can make you feel completely worthwhile after feeling like you were incompetent for eight months straight. I agree- grreat successss!!!

[Rachel]

I had a really hard time coming up with a specific success, and so my blog post is really general.  I like that you were able to use a single moment/story to capture your success.  It was truly a success story.  I love that your student rubbed his stomach.  I bet that put a huge smile on your face.  Keep up the good work Ms. Filocco!

[afrancis]

As a fellow Spanish teacher, this is huge! I gave an oral exam to my students as part of their final grade, and I'd guess that 98% of my students wouldn't be able to pull that off. Good job! Whenever I"m having a rough day, there's always that one students who says, "Profesora Francis, tengo una pregunta. ¿Cómo se dice... en español? Necesito un diccionario." That just makes my day. Spanish I vocab at it's finest. 

[Laura Jones]

This made me smile! What a great reminder that "success" doesn't necessarily come from a test score.  It's what you make of it.  I believe this is a lesson that I will learn soon enough.  You have to celebrate the baby steps - both for your sake and the student's!