Why I Do What I Do

Happy Friday 3rd grade families! 

Red Ribbon week was a great success.  The kiddos seemed to enjoy dressing up, and I'm sure that they are going to love our book character dress up day even more!  Mrs. Thorum and I have a big surprise planned for our students in terms of our costumes.  I had to search for days for the right socks.  Accessories, accessories! 

I've been talking to students in our small group math instruction about what their plan is for the future, given our district theme of "What's Your Plan?"  Today, one of my students told me they wanted to be a teacher when they grew up, and then proceeded to ask me why I became a teacher.  I hate to admit I wasn't completely honest with this student.  I told them I became a teacher because I wanted to help people.  That I love learning, and love sharing knowledge, and the biggest enjoyment of my day is when a student has an "aha!" moment.  But in reality, that's just part of the reason.  When I was in 7th grade back home in Seattle, I had a math teacher who was well liked and respected.  Everyone thought he was the most amazing teacher, both parents and students alike.  I had done well in math all through elementary school, but when I hit junior high, I began to struggle a bit.   Algebra was too complex for me at the time, I excelled at reading, but math was my weak point.  He would write problems on the board and then call students up to answer them in front of the class.  During class one day, he called on me, and I walked up to the board, shaking and sweating with anxiety.  I did my best to solve the problem, and turned around to face the class.  He began laughing at me, and the whole class joined in.  He then proceeded to mock me and degrade me in front of the class.  That was my turning point.  From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher, so that at least in my class, there would never be a student who would feel degraded or humiliated.  They would always feel safe to take a chance, to solve something incorrectly, to learn, and be supported. 

Of course, there were other teachers as I progressed through school who motivated and inspired me.  And I took bits and pieces from things I learned and applied them to my own classroom.  I love teaching, and I love each and every one of your kids!  So as we move our way through multiplication and (gasp!) division (that sound effect was directly from some of my students!) I hope they feel the excitement of learning new math skills. 

We will continue multiplication through November 10th, and then move on to relating multiplication to division.  After Thanksgiving, we will work on applying our new skills of multiplication and division to two-step problems.  That will continue until Christmas break. 

I hope you all have a restful weekend!  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Warmly,

Mrs. Ebel

Upcoming Events:
October 31st - Book Character Dress-up Day
November 7th - Early Release
November 7th - PISD Showcase: 5:30-7:30 p.m.