I Only Thought I Knew My Students (by Ric Murry) by Ric Murry · February 5, 2010 THE BACKGROUND: 2008, I returned to the 7th grade Social Studies classroom after a seven-year hiatus in Computer Applications and the Media Center. I wanted back in the classroom where I could work with a smaller number of students and develop a long-term relationship as a teacher and mentor to those who chose to see me this way. I didn’t realize how I would miss that role when I left my first Social Studies classroom, because I didn’t realize that I would soon become a mentor to so many of my former students. That’s why I believe longevity is a necessary component to really becoming a quality teacher in the eyes of students. THE SETUP: In August 2008, just a few days after school had started for a new year, several former students came to say goodbye. They were off to college for the first time. They were former students who were English Language Learners when I taught them 6 years earlier. They are all special young people to me. I knew how much they struggled. I saw their tears when they were new to the country. I felt their frustration as they searched for the right word in English to communicate their needs, hopes, and ideas. BUT I MISSED SOMETHING IN THEIR STRUGGLES, that one of them would have to teach me. Rocio was a former student who was about to become my teacher. She worked hard. Her family moved to the United States when she was in 6th grade. She knew two words of English when I first met her; “hi” and “yes.” One of our first conversations went something like this: Me: Hi. You must be Rocio. Rocio: Yes. Me: It is good to meet you. I have a seat ready for you over here. Rocio: Yes. Hi. She remembers it, because she’s the one who reminded me about it. As she came to say goodbye, as a new Gates Millennial Scholarship winner, I asked if she would speak to one of my classes for a few minutes. I wanted them to know that a young person can come to the United States knowing no English, work hard, and graduate #4 in high school, and go to college for free…if they would just work for it. They hear me say, but I only say it because I have seen it happen. And it happened for Rocio. THE CLASSROOM: She told my students (most ELLs) all the things you and I knew she would likely say, so I’ll not bother to repeat it here. But then, as a couple of students began to look away with a glance I thought was disrespectful, Rocio said two things that amazed me. First she said, “I know why you are looking away. You think this can’t happen for you. You think you’re not smart enough. You think you’re not meant to go to college. You think it would be disrespectful to your parents; who did not even go to high school. I know that’s what you are thinking, because I sat in your chair just a few years ago, thinking the very same thing when teachers talked about students going to college. But let me tell you something, Your parents would not have left their families, struggled with their children to travel here, and now work 16-18 hours everyday if they didn’t want you to get your education. So make them proud. That’s why they came here. Not for them, but for you.” That was awesome! But then it was my turn to learn. THE LESSON: Second she said, “I’m not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it will be worth it. What we know that your teachers don’t know is that we can’t even be ourselves or show our real personality to them, or our classmates, because we don’t have a personality until we own the language the people around us use to communicate. We know that you can’t be who you really are in someone else’s language. But when you do learn the language, and you will, you will be able to reveal the real you to them.” I stood there for a few seconds. I had to think about that one. And I did. I wrote it on the board…for my benefit. YOU CAN’T BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LANGUAGE. Why was this such a big deal to me? Why did that strike a note of hope and sadness in me? Was it empathy for my kids? Was it something more personal? YOU CAN’T BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LANGUAGE. I could not get over that thought. I take pride in “knowing my students.” I keep up with them through their high school years. I go to their games, plays, and performances. My wife even stopped going because she could not enjoy the games because of the number of kids who would have to say hello and talk. I do not want this to sound like I’m bragging, but at times there were so many kids around my wife and me that it was impossible to watch the events, because the kids wanted to talk to me. I always thought I knew “my kids.” YOU CAN’T BE WHO YOU REALLY ARE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LANGUAGE. The truth Rocio taught me that day, while she was speaking to my students was that I knew very little about my students who struggled to speak to me in English. There was no way for them to show me their true identity. They try, but the words (or lack of words) get in the way. THE APPLICATION: All true learning will lead to a change in the life of the learner. So what has changed in me? It may not sound like much, but here is something I find myself doing much more of in the hallways, between classes, and sometimes at the end of class. I’ll ask my ELL students to tell me something they have done that they really enjoyed. I ask them to tell me in English. They usually are able to get enough of the words out that I know what they have done. When they are done, I ask them to tell me the same story in Spanish (their native language). I listen carefully. I watch their eyes twinkle with excitement. I watch their hand gestures explain instead of search. I watch their friends join in. I listen and I watch. Let me tell you…there are some great personalities in my hallway. I may never have known that if it wasn’t for Rocio. I also have former students come to my class and talk with my current students several times a year. This year I’ve had Rocio, another former ELL student preparing to be a teacher, a former basketball player of mine spoke about his trip to South Africa, and a former student who needed a recommendation for a college grant stopped in to tell them that their teachers are the most helpful people they will ever meet. She probably just wanted a good recommendation letter though. I gave it to her. Note: This article by Ric Murry originally appeared on Teaching Village, and is licensed under a Creative Commons, Attribution-Non Commercial, No Derivatives 3.0 License. If you wish to share it you must re-publish it “as is”, and retain any credits, acknowledgements, and hyperlinks within it. 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