The biggest message I have to deliver to my students throughout the year is the idea that We are a family. I know they've been told similar things by previous teachers, but for Hoggatteers, it becomes more than an idea: this thing gets real.
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Our previous principal, Mrs. Willey (nee Hennessey) called me into her office one afternoon. I sat across the table from her as she informed me that my class was more like a family than any other classroom in the Joplin School District. I will never forget that high accolade. It is something I have worked on throughout the last decade - not just to say it, but to make it happen.
Our family members do not hide their relationship. I want it to be visual, verbal, and emotional. I want us to feel empathy for each other, to defend one another, and to truly care for the other family members. It takes quite a bit of trust, respect, and selflessness to really achieve all of that. I'm not lying when I tell my students that I care about these "citizenship" traits more than I care about the academic aspects of our days. When we achieve family, all of the other things are cake! |
There are, of course, the actual family connections. This year, I have two children of previous students. CADYN's mom and KARLIE's dad were both in my class ____ years ago. ELLA's sister and JAH-KORI's brother might give them some hints about how to approach things, and NICHOLAS has both a brother and a sister who have experienced the Hoggatteer Revolution. |
