INTASC Standards
Standard #10
This brochure is meant to be an open invitation to students, parents, colleagues, and community members. It enables to put not only a face with the name, but also contact information and a bit of substance, pedagogical as well as personal.
One issue that I see as a growing rift between schools and parents, is the separation of school and parent. It is rare that parents are able to make it to all of the meetings, all of the functions, all of the celebrations, and so there is less and less opportunity to build a foundational relationship between teacher and parent. My hope is that by offering these brochures, by handing them out to students, and making them available to parents I will be able to reach out and create a bridge. Even if it is nothing more than a parent chatting with me in the grocery store after having recognized me from the brochure. Parent/teacher bonds are vital to student success and this is just one way I try to create that bond.
Another great way to connect with the community is through community service. While working as a teacher in Roanoke I was able to sponsor the chess club, SCA, and coach baseball. Additionally, since I have been teaching at Independence Secondary I have been able to participate in food drives, our Adopt-a-Spot program, Nellie's Cave Park clean-up, and various other service opportunities. Giving back to the community always offers a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, but what transcends that personal satisfaction is the satisfaction I felt upon sharing these experiences with my students; many of whom have never had the opportunity to contribute to their community in such a positive way.
This is our bi-annual student generated newsletter that is sent out to all the parents of the school as well as MCPS administrators, school-board members, and businesses in the community that have helped IS through the years. It gives the students an opportunity to show the community what is going on at Independence Secondary. Myself and another teacher at as sponsors and editors, but the creation is wholly that of the students. In my editing I try to leave it as much in the students' own words as possible, only offering spelling or usage suggestions. Our goal is to allow the students to show their pride in their own voices to achieve an authentic learning experience.
In this time of SOLs, NCLB, AYP, and all other forms of bureaucracy, it is as important as ever that teachers have a voice in the system that they are so deeply vested in. While there are many organizations worthy of my yearly dues, the reality is I can only be and active member of a select few on a yearly basis. Therefore I maintain a membership in NCTE to support the teacher's voice on a national level, and VATE which allows me to participate on a more local level. The friends and contacts I have made through each are surely to last me a lifetime.
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