All in all, a great year in school

Thirty-Three weeks in and somehow it feels as though this train is still accelerating.

When I came to Wasilla Middle School this year, I was new to the educator’s experience. I spent the first day at my new job ensuring I had enough chairs for the students on my roster. A plethora of colorful chairs now adorn my room and subsequently contribute more decoration than any combination of inspirational posters otherwise could.

Now I find myself sitting in the same room, submitting the last mid-term grade report of the year. I still have the same colorful chairs; however, the room looks completely different. Evidence of student work and learning decorates the room. Student math journals decorate one wall nearly floor to ceiling. Looking back throughout the year, I can attribute many of my successes to working with our school’s teaching community. It is this construction of a professional network of educators that has contributed the most to my classroom experience. These people have been sounding boards for ideas and honest enough to provide (sometimes shockingly) honest feedback when necessary.

Beyond the professional relationships that have come to be, I have had the pleasure of teaching a small group of students that join me for a 55-minute reading course. This class has been a fantastic experiment in what confidence, time and a positive atmosphere can create. Because I have a small group of students, I feel as though I truly had the privilege of getting to know my students. We have spent our Fridays reading and discussing personal books, and the other four days discussing effective reading.

This small group of students managed to achieve a 90 percent attendance rate to WMS’ reading program, Shredfest. That means 90 percent of the small group read six or more books in the third quarter, many of which qualified for a VIP pass requiring 10 or more books. That means the small group of students (eight to be exact) managed to read and pass tests on more than 50 books.

Awesome.

Throughout the rest of the day I teach four math classes of various levels. These classes have proved consistently delightful. Students have just begun the process of becoming responsible for their learning.

At the beginning of the year, students would approach and often ask, “Why did you give me a B?” These questions have slowly transitioned into a statement of ownership: “I got a B last quarter.”

Although seemingly small, this statement proves that our seventh-grade students are growing into teenagers capable of owning their actions and grades. As a teacher, I could not ask for a more rewarding end to the year.

All these positive changes aside, there were the bad days, long weeks and sometimes exhausting months. Nevertheless, I find it hard to imagine being much happier with how the year is ending and therefore cannot complain about those draining moments. The kids have been great, teachers supportive and the experiences positive. All in all, a great year to be teaching in the Mat-Su!

Jeffrey Blackburn teaches at Wasilla Middle School.