Don't Get Distracted with Yourself

It is far too easy for educators to focus out the numerous responsibilities we have. Collect data to analyze student grown, improve standardized test scores, improve reading levels, grade papers, prepare for the next few days of class. etc. Not that these things don't matter (because they do) but I feel that as educators we have to constantly remind ourselves that our positive influence can be the best thing a student can ever take away from us. Not that fact that they learned out to play in 6/8 or discovered what a homonym is or experienced sublimation for the first time.  Yes, those things are important but I am talking about things students can learn from us, that we affect the rest of their lives.  When you make a student feel great about themselves and great about their personal success. 

Currently, in my 6th year of teacher, I am about half we through graduate school to attain an administration degree. My current band program is going through an extensive amount of growth (woo hoo!) and I often find myself in a sort of inner dilemma about what kind of teacher I want to be, where I want my program to be going, how do I want to develop as an educator, etc. In regards to the development of my band program, do I want to push harder, do I want to push so hard that I push less musically motivated students away? Do I include everyone a condone a bit of mediocrity?  This was all I could think about and it turned me into a bit of a "bipolar teacher" (for lack of better words). 

During the beginning of this school year while this was happening internally, I suffered a great lost due to the untimely death of one of my students. This was the first thing to put a strong halt to that personal argument. It made me realize that in that time I was figuring myself out, I was neglecting students. I went through a period where I blamed myself for not connecting with the student enough. I blamed others for not caring about the students enough. And the blame game continued in my head. After I have had time to reflect, the blame game is something that needs to not happen. This tragic event has made me realize that I have to always keep the students best interest in the forefront of my mind. I have to remember that its my social interaction with each student that can help them be successful for the rest of their lives.  After much reflection, I have realized that I want to keep these 3 ideas in mind while I am teaching at all times:

1. Improve school culture one smile or laugh at a time
2. When you constructively criticize remind students that its because you care
3. Remain positive even when your personal life does not want you to be

These 3 personal social teaching standards of mine will help me stay student centered as I get bogged down with all of the "other stuff" teachers inevitably have to deal with. I encourage everyone either borrow mine or make your own personal standards to help you stay student centered. 

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge"   

                                                                                    -Albert Einstein