Well Being of the Learner: "Caring"
Here is a story that might help you think about the next time you interact with your students.
Written By: Kay Toliver
"Caring is the foundation of good teaching. In my classes, caring can and does take many forms. The first form, perhaps, is in the giving of my time. Many students are under the impression that teachers are not willing to invest extra time because they have seen that when the school day ends, too many of their teachers have other things to do and are not interested in spending this time with their students. Unfortunately, where this is the case, these teachers are missing an important opportunity. I generally stay after school or come in early, depending on my students’ preference, to help students with their homework or work with them individually if they have questions about the concepts covered in class. I see this as an opportunity for me to discover where students are lacking as well as to ensure they are not falling behind the pace of the class. The other side of this is that if I am giving of my time, I expect my students to invest some of their own. Recently, I have also begun to come to school early to work with students who want extra help but are unable to stay after school. |
Caring also includes being a willing listener. My students know that they may come to me with problems, questions, or realizations, whether school-related or not. They view me as someone they can talk to, and I serve as counselor or preacher as needed. In turn, I share my own experiences with my students. For instance, when I came back from a summer of study, I tell them of the difficulties I faced going back to school and concentrating on my studies. Additionally, my students all have my home number, and they are free to call me anytime. After all, their lives do not go “on hold” after the school day – neither does my status as a teacher. Because of this openness, my students are not hesitant to open up to me.
Often, it is only through a deep caring on the part of the teacher that a great student appears. In that regard I am reminded of a former student of mine named Xavier. When I think of Xavier, I see a talent who might easily have been missed. Anyone who is familiar with New York City’s homeless shelters knows that they are terrible, and Xavier was living in a shelter on 42nd Street when he first came to my class. (I believe his previous home had burned down, leaving his family with no other recourse than to seek public aid.) He was very introverted due to his difficult personal experiences, and I suspect that the other students secretly ridiculed him because he lived in a shelter. He would not talk to anyone.
Xavier began coming to school very early in the morning to get out of the shelter. One morning I found him crouched in the corner of the hall, and I told him that if he was going to come in early he could help me prepare for class. Thus, he became my “assistant” for that year. I would help him get breakfast, and soon he started to open up and began speaking to me. The other students, seeing how much I cared for Xavier, began to gravitate toward him and include him in their conversations. By the end of the school year, he was much less introverted, and it turned out he was both an excellent student and a wonderful artist. Consequently, I managed to get him into an art program for high school.
Students like Xavier are easily missed. Their brilliance is almost buried under the problems they are having in their environments and at home. They often appear to be unwilling to learn or hopeless to teach, and many slip “through the cracks” of the educational system, never reaching or even seeing their potential. Only a caring teacher can bring out their true intelligence and vitality.
Caring is the basis on which a class can be built. If students perceive that their teachers are there to help them and willing to assist them in getting through difficulties, it is then impossible not to teach them. If they perceive that their teachers are bored with their jobs, their subject matter, or their students, then it is no surprise if teaching becomes a chore."
Often, it is only through a deep caring on the part of the teacher that a great student appears. In that regard I am reminded of a former student of mine named Xavier. When I think of Xavier, I see a talent who might easily have been missed. Anyone who is familiar with New York City’s homeless shelters knows that they are terrible, and Xavier was living in a shelter on 42nd Street when he first came to my class. (I believe his previous home had burned down, leaving his family with no other recourse than to seek public aid.) He was very introverted due to his difficult personal experiences, and I suspect that the other students secretly ridiculed him because he lived in a shelter. He would not talk to anyone.
Xavier began coming to school very early in the morning to get out of the shelter. One morning I found him crouched in the corner of the hall, and I told him that if he was going to come in early he could help me prepare for class. Thus, he became my “assistant” for that year. I would help him get breakfast, and soon he started to open up and began speaking to me. The other students, seeing how much I cared for Xavier, began to gravitate toward him and include him in their conversations. By the end of the school year, he was much less introverted, and it turned out he was both an excellent student and a wonderful artist. Consequently, I managed to get him into an art program for high school.
Students like Xavier are easily missed. Their brilliance is almost buried under the problems they are having in their environments and at home. They often appear to be unwilling to learn or hopeless to teach, and many slip “through the cracks” of the educational system, never reaching or even seeing their potential. Only a caring teacher can bring out their true intelligence and vitality.
Caring is the basis on which a class can be built. If students perceive that their teachers are there to help them and willing to assist them in getting through difficulties, it is then impossible not to teach them. If they perceive that their teachers are bored with their jobs, their subject matter, or their students, then it is no surprise if teaching becomes a chore."