I was listening
to the radio a few weeks ago and the DJ said something at the end of his
segment that sat with me. It was more thought
provoking than inspirational, but it was really a lesson, something to
ponder. He suggested that, “the most
important tire was the spare.”
I thought about
the purpose of a spare and how instrumental it is to the overall security of my
journey and then I thought about the students in my small groups and
classes. The students that I worked with
on enrichment, or my high students, could very well be considered my spares. But,
instead of considering them the most “important” as all of my students are
important, I would remix the message a bit.
I would argue that, “the spare tire helps create a smoother journey.”
As a classroom
teacher, the students that are on grade level or above grade level aren’t
considered “high maintenance” they are the students that “just get it.” However, in this climate, when test scores
are returning and the indicators Beginning, Developing, Proficient and Distinguished
learners are used to brand or describe students, it’s imperative that mindsets
be revisited.
In a
traditional classroom, your lowest learners receive a tremendous amount of
attention and support, while you develop your learners that are proficient in
hopes that that development and enrichment is enough to garner those learners
the title of distinguished. Growth and
movement in students is always celebrated, but when our lowest learners show
tremendous amounts of growth, that celebration is different. It’s a celebration that embraces both the
history and the struggle of the student.
In essence, our
lowest performer’s growth is celebrated in a way that links teaching and
learning. I’m pondering if I see my
highest performer’s growth in the same way?
My highest performing students just get it. So, when I see their growth, do I take credit
for this growth in the same way that I do those students that struggled?
Because I
considered them my “spare” or the students that would smoothly take the
journey, when they grow, it’s both expected and celebrated. However, do I celebrate it as a win for both myself
and the student? I’m not sure that I
have in the past because of the expectation of excellence from those students.
The quote was
more than a message for me; it served as a reminder!
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