Video: Miracle Workers by Taylor Mali

As we are getting to the end of the school year, testing preparations are underway and after burning both ends of the candle for the last 9 months, the teachers I'm seeing are tired. I can relate, I know how I felt at this time of year. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." is constantly running through my head (I love Dory). 

So, I decided to share a video. This poem from Taylor Mali is just as poignant as his "What Teachers Make" and I love it. "Education is the miracle. I'm just the worker." We all need just a bit of encouragement and to be reminded of this sometimes.

Immersion

I share this video in many of my workshops, because it is powerful and contains many accurate reenactments of typical scenes I have seen working with ELLs.

I have seen English learners struggle, I have seen students not want to help their English learner peers, I have seen bullying of English learners, I have seen teachers -inadvertently and purposefully- shame and embarrass English learners in front of the class, I have had administrators tell me not to focus on my newest students, but instead to focus on bubble kids.

However, I really like this video because of some of the positive things it highlights. The teacher, even if she doesn't really know how wants to help Moises. She's trying to do the best she can, and she cares about Moises. Moises is shown as hardworking, he understands the content, even better than his peers, but doesn't have the language to share the knowledge.

So often I hear teachers complain about English language learners. Things such as: Why don't they try harder? They are just lazy. But the reality is much different. English learners are trying very hard to learn English, learn how to communicate, and learn academic content, but it takes time. Research says it can take as many as 4-9 years. All we can do is support our English learners, and help them grow in their English.

Rigged Game

I'm taking a short respite form writing strategies, the theme of the month, and sharing this video of Dylan Garity at NPS 2013. I was reminded of this video this week. I hadn't seen it in a while, but it's one of those that gets me every time. It always reminds me what I'm working for. The system might be flawed but that doesn't mean we have to give up.

The system is flawed and teachers, buckling under the pressure, are leaving the profession. The other day as I drove down the road, I saw a bumper sticker: North Carolina Teachers: First in Flight. I just moved to this state to teach and everyone I met told me I was going the wrong direction.

The students I've had and continue to help, reminiscent of Juan and Ana in the video, get me up out of bed in the morning and always remind me of the work still to be done.