A Teacher's "Night Before the First Day of School"
‘Twas the night before the first day of school, and all through the teacher’s head,
ran thoughts of last-minute planning and jitters as she prepared for bed.
The desks had been sanitized; the carpets had been cleaned,
a bright bulletin board announcing, “We are writers,” she had schemed.
As she snuggled under the covers she envisioned a year of learning,
all of the essays and projects she would grade, as ideas kept churning.
Students’ heads would be filled with texts – both narrative and information,
not to mention ample practice with analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
The Common Core they would conquer, to the top of data charts they would soar,
but more importantly the books, big questions and complex issues they’d explore,
would expand their ideas, ignite their imaginations and broaden their perspectives,
through engagement and discourse, together, they’d become literacy detectives.
On reading! On writing! On speaking and listening!
On collaboration! On publishing! On critical thinking!
Throughout the journey, the students would propel the teacher’s pedagogy,
Into new terrain, new possibilities, news tools and technologies.
As slumber overtook her, and her jitters finally dwindled,
a fierce hope and fervent wish inside of her kindled:
May every teacher remember, in the face of all obstacles--
what happens in our classrooms is the stuff of miracles.
For they can mandate and legislate and collect data all day,
in the media they can claim we are lazy or passé,
but they cannot take our voices, our ideas, our knowledge or relationships away,
so happy back-to-school to all, may learning and leadership be our mainstay.
Blogs
The Implementing Common Core Standards (ICCS) team blogs about best practices for integrating common core standards into the classroom.
The TeacherSolutions 2030 team blogs about improving the teaching profession between now and the year 2030.
Megan M. Allen is a National Board Certified Teacher and the 2010 Florida Teacher of the Year. She is a proud fifth-grade teacher in Tampa and a 2012-13 CTQ teacherpreneur.
Barnett Berry is the Founder and President of the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ), Inc., based in Carrboro, NC. CTQ seeks to dramatically improve student learning by advancing teaching as a 21st-century, results-oriented profession. He wrote TEACHING 2030 with 12 accomplished teachers.
Dan Brown is a teacher and the author of The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle. His writing has also appeared in The Boston Globe, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, and Education Week. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Jessica Cuthbertson is a teacherpreneur who divides her time between teaching 6th-grade literacy in Aurora, CO, and supporting teacher leadership through the Denver New Millennium Initiative.
Bill Ferriter teaches 6th grade language arts in North Carolina, where he was named a Regional Teacher of the Year for 2005-2006.
John Holland is an artist, a teacher, a writer, and an innovator. After 12 years as a preschool teacher, John began working at Early Head Start/Head Start Program as a child development specialist. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Jessica Keigan is a secondary language arts teacher at Horizon High School in Thornton, CO, and a teacher leader for the Denver New Millennium Initiative.
Ryan Kinser is a 6th grade English teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida. After a career in television production, Ryan taught in urban Washington as a D.C. Teaching Fellow. He is a member of the Hillsborough New Millennium Initiative.
Renee Moore has taught English and journalism for 20 years in the Mississippi Delta region at both high school and community college levels. She is National Board Certified, a former state Teacher of the Year, and a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Dave Orphal is a teacher in Oakland, CA. Dave serves as a veteran teacher leader for the Bay Area New Millennium Initiative and works with the California Teachers Association's Institute for Teaching.
Ariel Sacks teaches eighth grade English at a middle school in Brooklyn, NY. She has published articles about her work in Teacher Magazine and is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Mark Sass has taught public high school for 18 years and has been involved in various leadership positions and policy discussions in Colorado. Mark is a member of the inaugural Aspen Teacher Leader Fellows.
In addition to our regular transformED bloggers, we frequently feature guest posts written by teachers involved in CTQ communities. We welcome teachers to share their reflections and expertise on transformED.
Jose Vilson is a math teacher, coach, and data analyst for a middle school in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. He is a co-author of TEACHING 2030.
Noah Zeichner is a National Board Certified Teacher in Seattle. He currently serves in a hybrid teaching role, dividing his time between teaching social studies and supporting CTQ's global teacher leadership initiatives.
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Comments
Loved It
Nice ... am smiling ....
Best wishes for the new term.
Brava, Jessica! Brava &
Brava, Jessica! Brava & Bravo, Teachers everywhere! Here's to a great year. And to All a Good Night!
Rhyme-tastic
A fun way to capture the spirit and feeling that preceded the storm. Well done.
Inspiring
Beautiful poem! I really enjoyed that.
Wow Jess...I really enjoyed
Wow Jess...I really enjoyed that! Definitely will share with my friends, especially the teacher ones!!
First Day of School
So my real wonder is...how was the first day of school?
I can't wait to hear the progress on the books, big questions and complex issues you students will explore this year!!!
We can do it!
Cute and inspirational! What fun!
On Teaching, On Learning, On Inspiring Colleagues!
I'm sure I'll be sharing this in another few weeks as NYC teachers head back--especially the line about the journey and the students propelling the teacher's pedagogy!
Hope the first week is going well! I imagine wondrous things happening!
Vicki
Well done. Have a great
Well done. Have a great year.
Just what the Dr. ordered
Thanks, friend, for such a timely and uplifting piece. My little learners come traipsing in the door in just two days...this got me even more jazzed up!
Megan
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