The Things We Do To Help Our Students

As I stated in the previous blog, this past month has been focussed on Speech Arts. And the last process before being selected to compete is to present your speech to the class. As much as we would think it would be easy (since they normally have no problems speaking out in front of the class), presenting a prepared speech seems to be completely different.

Fear is something I saw in my students that I normally do not see. They were fearful of the opinions of their fellow students, fearful of whether their speeches would be good enough or not, fearful of total judgement. To battle this, I did the regular things of allowing them a restart (or two or three), a moment to gather themselves before presenting, and other little things. These little things worked, until it became the turn of one of my girls.

She just couldn’t do it. Stood up front for probably 10 minutes until she broke down. The words just wouldn’t come out. She was absolutely terrified. I allowed her best friend to take her out for a few minutes to calm her down, and then they returned and I told her she could wait until last if she’d like. Before it was even her turn again, she kept telling me she couldnt’ do it. In any way possible, she wouldn’t be able to do it. I told her to just wait and in my head, the wheels were turning. Somehow this student needed to say her speech, but how was I going to get her to do it?

Then it hit me right before her turn. When the last speech prior to hers was ended, I asked all of my students (except her and her friend) to go get their coats. Obviously confused when they returned to the room, I asked them to put their coats over their heads and make sure their faces were covered. I explained that until her speech was over, they were not to remove their coats. I then asked her best friend to take her chair and sit in the middle of the floor in front of her.

The laughing that came from her before she started her speech showed the ease that was beginning to settle in. She was able to say her speech and it was so very well done. I was proud of her, and I’m sure some of my other students had a mini nap, but at this point, I didn’t mind. It was about finding a way she would be comfortable enough to say her speech in front of the others, and she did it. Later, she told me that it was like talking to coloured rocks.

I don’t think any other job I’ve ever held has forced me to be so creative. Creative enough to reach out and help the 16 students in my class learn in the ways they need, creative enough to think on my feet and come up with ways that will allow these children to do what they are required to do.

Being a teacher is such a hard job, but I am always (or almost always) thankful for it. Nothing has pushed me so hard in my life and forced me to develop and grow into the person I am today. I not only teach my students, but they also teach me. If you’re a teacher, pat yourself on the back. You’re doing a great job and nobody will ever know the true effort and dedication you give to those little bodies in your care. I appreciate you!

Those Students Who Blow Us Away

This past month has been spent on creating speeches. We have an annual Speech Arts competition where the school gathers judges to come and awards are given to the winners.

The process leading up to Speech Arts night is often a gruelling task. The students work for weeks in class, selecting their topics, researching the information, and writing a fluent speech. They then practice saying their speeches to a timer (criteria states it had to be between 3-5 minutes) and in front of a mirror and friends (to check for eye contact, proper posture, release of tension, etc…). Finally they learn how to properly write short form bullets on cue cards so that they are able to better memorize their speeches while having cards with point form notes incase they forget in front of a crowd.

The second step consists of two days worth of watching and listening to speeches in class. The students are graded on a given rubric. When the speeches have all been completed, the teacher then selects the top 3 in his/her class to compete for the evening of Speech Arts.

Our Speech Arts night was this past Thursday and I have never been so nervous for my students, particularly one.

This one student has had a long-term reputation in the school for being a behaviour problem (teachers, you know the kind I’m talking about). His expectations have been sub-par and even I was worried about having this student in my class from what I had heard of him before. And yet, though we have indeed dealt with some behavioural challenges, I cannot express to you the amount of difference that not only I, but other teachers have seen in him this year. This year, he worked the hardest of any student in my class to obtain his very first time on the Honour Roll. He also worked one of the hardest of any of my students on his speech and was one of my selected students to compete in Speech Arts. I was so proud of him.

He did very well in front of the judges, as well as the other two students I had chosen. His passion was in the topic, and when the judges presented him with his question, he handled it very well and had his answer spot on.

Of course, I don’t find out the answer from the judges until they’ve collaborated, but I was never more proud of him then when I was able to present him with a second place medal. He did so well!

I have watched this kid stretch and grow into an incredibly different person than he was when he first entered my room. The amount of work I’ve put into this kid alone is substantial. In fact he’s the only student in my class I’ve had to give an in-school suspension to. And yet, look at what he’s become. No, that doesn’t mean that the behaviour never creeps up again. Sometimes I wonder who’s hiding that jar of sugar he surely dipped into. But as I continue to work with him and develop that strong, trusting, teacher-student relationship, he has been accomplishing great things that he may have never thought possible before.

I can still remember sitting with other teachers from the school this week. They had asked who my top 3 were that would be competing. They completely understood why I had selected my other two contestants, but when I had said this particular student’s name, their mouths dropped.

Don’t give up on those tough students. Sometimes it’s the labels they have been given, the low expectations they know we have of them. Sometimes we just need to push them that much further, and yes, it definitely may be a fight along the way, but when that students has the chance to blow you out of the water, not a single fighting moment will matter anymore. It will all be worth it in the end!