Do No Harm
A friend once told me that “feedback is a gift”. As we all know, it can be very difficult to hear negative feedback from colleagues or students, but the purpose is to help us to become better. Better teachers, colleagues, parents, spouses, friends, etc. I’ve always asked my students for feedback at the end so I am able to reflect on what went well and what I need to do to make things better for the students the following year (of course what worked well during the pandemic may not be the best starting point).
As I embark on a new school year, I must first look back at not only what the last 18 months looked like, but what I learned from that period of time. Due to the pandemic, there were many parameters/roadblocks that were put in place, yet we did all we could to get the resources needed to support our students. From driving to student’s homes to drop off necessary resources and materials, to holding many extra Google Meets to get students caught up. It’s that sense of urgency of getting the necessary materials into the hands of the students that I need to carry with me into the new school year. Though the materials most likely won’t be left at their doorstep but instead instilled in my classroom as I work with them to create an atmosphere of “Do No Harm.”
A quote that stands out from the last 18 months is by British writer Damian Barr, “We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some are on super-yachts. Some have just the one oar.” This quote made me pause and realize that each person’s circumstances are different and in turn their perceptions of the pandemic, and the effects it was having on them and their families were unique. Each of my students went through a unique situation. I went through a unique situation. We all have different perspectives based on our experiences, and we must remind our students and each other to take the time to value and respect each other’s perspectives. In the past, I’ve always stressed to my students to be kind to one another as we don’t know what situations our classmates may be going through. As welcoming and accepting as I want my students to feel as they enter my classroom, I also understand that doesn’t just happen and there is work that needs to be done in order for that atmosphere to be developed.
As What We Can Become is beginning I am learning that there is always room for improvement with my teaching and my classroom. As my 24th year of teaching is beginning, the reflection needs to be done as to what I need to do in order to meet my students’ unique needs and establish the “Do No Harm” atmosphere.
My focus will be on the principle: Students and educators seek to do no harm and repair harm when it happens. As I am gathering my ideas around this, I am focusing on the following:
Get “buy-in” from students. Establish those relationships as student/teacher relationships and also equally important in the classroom are the student/student relationships as well. Make sure the relationships developed are not “surface” and that students understand that you are focused on them, their interests, and their lives. TAKE THE TIME to get to know them and put yourself out there a bit.
My plan is to start the school year by creating a safe environment where relationships can be established. I plan to do this through the students thinking about themselves and creating identity charts/identity reflections. I am still developing what that will all entail as students will be a part of it and we will co-create the template that we use for the identity charts. I also will be looking at previous charts to see what worked well in the past for others and what would work best for seventh-grade students.
