The health of the public education system in this country is in peril. I am beyond disappointed at the appointment of another non-educator, Cathy Black, to run our city’s schools.
So this weekend, I wanted to give thanks for all that is working in my education life.
Giving thanks for…
My students. I am so thankful to be working with an amazing group of 7th graders that regularly impress, challenge, teach, make me laugh and remind me to appreciate the moment. I can honestly say I look forward to being at school every day.
My school. I’m working at a school founded by master teachers, who understand, respect, support and CAN DO the complex and challenging work of teaching. I have the opportunity to collaborate, learn from, and rely on wonderful colleagues.
My professional communities. My involvement in CTQ projects, TLN, blogging, and Bank Street College alumni networks put me in dialogue with so many inspiring educators. These networks push me to keep thinking about the big picture of what we are doing as teachers. There are many giants in these networks, who are my mentors, whether they know it or not.
My teacher friends. My relationships with my colleages, past and present, keep me sane in a lot of ways. Among other things, we are bound together by the fact that we stay working with kids, and when we come together, we talk about it. I am thankful to have amazing teacher friends to trade stories, troubles and advice with, especially when it comes to balancing our personal and professional lives.
My family and loved ones who support the work I do by listening, understanding that teaching for me is a labor of love and requires many more exhausting hours than we would sometimes like; reminding me to stop, take a breath, and relax when I need it.
Those who speak up. I am thankful for all the teachers/leaders/writers who are speaking the truth about the incredibly valuable and complex work teachers do; and those who are speaking out against education policies that are for-profit and test-driven, rather than for-the-public and child-driven, and those which shut out the voices and expertise of teachers. You are heard, at least by me.
[image credit: americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org]
Share this post:
Author
Ariel Sacks
Ariel Sacks began her 13-year teaching career in New York City public schools after earning her master’s degree at Bank Street College and has taught and coached in grades 7-9. She is the author of Whole Novels for the Whole Class: A Student Centered Approach (Jossey-Bass, 2014) and writes a teaching column for Education Week Teacher.
Ariel’s work as a teacher leader with the Center for Teaching Quality involved her in co-authoring Teaching 2030: What We Must Do For Our Public Schools – Now and in the Future. She was also featured in the CTQ book Teacherpreneurs: Innovative Teachers Who Lead Without Leaving.
She is currently working on a book about the role of creative writing in equitable, 21st century schools, and she speaks and leads workshops on the whole novels approach.
Related Posts
September 13, 2021
Pause, ponder, then plan:
Cultivating Communities of Impact
February 23, 2021