I'm here...

So I’m writing right now, and it feels a bit weird somehow. Maybe it’s because I haven’t written an entry about my students in a while or maybe it’s because I continue to find ways to procrastinate and push away my lesson plans for tomorrow, but whatever it is, I’m writing…and it might be more for me than for you.

I just spoke with a good friend who is doing Teach For America next year and was prompted to write after I put down the phone. Jess is an incredible person who is passionate about serving others and loving God’s children and in many ways inspired me to do what I am doing today. When I found out that she had job offers from TFA, Invisible Children, and International Justice Mission last year, I decided that I needed to get my butt in gear and find ways to streak for a living. I then applied for Teach For America, and here I am today. So when Jess talks to me about her fears, or wonderings rather, about what’s to come in the following two-year commitment, or if teaching should even happen for her it’s a little weird for me to be in this position of experience as it was I who was asking her for advice during the interview process.

When I first heard that Jess was wondering if TFA was right for her, I needed to call her right away and see why. She told me that she had been doing a lot of reading on what the organization believes and wasn’t sure if she really agreed with some of the major philosophies of Teach For America. The biggest one she is having problems with is: ALL children can succeed…it’s up to the teacher to get them to. Teach For America believes in setting high expectations and believing that EACH and EVERY child can achieve greatness; that our students in low-income communities can pass the same exams, graduate with the same high schools standards, and get into the same great colleges as their wealthier counterparts.
After my experience with students like Victor, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who is ILLITERATE in his own Spanish language with parents who are struggling to find work and keep them in the states I begin to wonder how much I believe this. I am reminded of Marino who, try as he might, still has Mount Everest to climb. In fact, new statistics came out recently about the graduation rate of immigrant students (aka MY students): 23% of eligible immigrant students graduated in 2008. 23 %! I am supposed to believe that it is mine and the other teachers’, principals’, and educators’ fault that this rate is not the above the 60% graduation rate of the white, higher-income students?

Here is what I know: I love my students. I hope for my students. I work my ass off for my students. I try as HARD as I can to give them the gift of the English language, which without they will never receive the opportunities to succeed in this faltering country of ours. All I can do is love. All I can do is try. I need to forgive myself and my students when we fail. I need to pick myself back up daily and KNOW that God placed me here for a reason…He put me here to give these kids the love that many of them do not receive at home. I am here to represent white, Christian, straight, able-bodied, wealthy males…to expose these kids to someone of the color that often oppresses them and let them know that I am on their side…that I truly believe that they deserve a chance to succeed in this life. But “We all need someone to take out the trash” (I’ve heard this before)…I am here to fervently argue that it shouldn’t be because lack of opportunity…I am here to teach them how to love and how to care. I am here to teach them respect, and that they will receive respect when they give respect. I am here to love them.

Maybe this doesn’t make me a good teacher…maybe these things just make me a good mentor and role model. But as I know that God has me here for these reasons, he is allowing me to teach them along the way. Because my students know this is why I am here, they try for me…they learn for me…and maybe they will achieve for me. Regardless of how we get to the places where we are, if we are where God wants us to be then He will work through us and we don’t have to worry if we are doing a good job or not because God’s work is always and will always be GOOD.

for the wild,

andrew