 First Year Teacher White Queer Transgender 8th Grade Reading Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: Being openly gay and transgender in the classroom was simultaneously the easiest and most difficult decision I’ve ever made. I never had any teachers who were openly LGBTQ, so when I came out as transgender, I made a promise to myself that when I became a teacher, I wouldn’t allow myself to be closeted and risk letting a single student go through my class feeling like there was something wrong with them or like they had to hide who they were. At the start of this school year, a student introduced himself on “Meet the Teacher” night and explained that he was transgender and went by a different name than was on the roster. It was an instant flashback to having to talk to my professors on the first day of class, fingers crossed that they didn’t react negatively. So I told him what I would have wanted to hear—to let me know if his pronouns or name ever changed and that I’d support him however I could. On Monday, he introduced his group of friends to me. By the end of the second week, over a dozen of my 8th graders had come out to me. By the end of the month, they had started bringing their friends from other grades to be introduced. Before the end of the first quarter, I had students that I’d never even met before coming to my room and asking, “You’re the trans teacher? Can we talk?” Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Finding common ground with our students is essential to our jobs as teachers. When we see ourselves reflected in someone else, it helps bring us together. One of my main goals in stepping into the classroom was to make sure that my LGBTQ students had the openly queer adult role model in their lives that I so desperately needed in my life growing up. Being a middle schooler is difficult but being an LGBTQ middle schooler takes even more strength and courage. Growing up, I didn’t have the vocabulary to describe what I was feeling; I didn’t add the words “gay” and “transgender” to my vocabulary until I went to college—I just knew that the way I felt wasn’t what everyone else was experiencing. I didn’t think any of my teachers would understand, so I never reached out to them about the anxiety and confusion I was feeling over my identity. So despite the difficulties that being out in the classroom can pose, I live my truth so that my students feel empowered to do the same. I’ve lived their fear of being discovered, their hopes for acceptance, their pains of rejection, their dreams for a safe space—they see me, and know that I see them, that they aren’t alone, and I think that makes all the difference. One point of common ground has turned my classroom into a safe space for so many students that otherwise might not have felt secure enough to open up to me, so just imagine the endless possibilities if we work to find even more in common with our students. Eoin (pronounced "Owen", he/him) teaches in in southern-most tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley on the US/Mexico border. Connect with him on Twitter @eoinstein. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Dear Mr. O'Shannon, Words can't describe what an impact you have made. You are so accepting of everyone, no matter the backstory or identity. Thank you, for sharing your story and telling us about how you came over your hardships. You're such an inspiration, especially to the LGBTQ+ kids. The day I met you is one that I will always remember, because you made the fact that I changed my name and pronouns feel so natural. You have such a love and passion when you teach. I hope you keep teaching for generations to come. Thank you, sir, for everything.
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 Years in Education: 7-10
Male Heterosexual Caucasian First in Family to Graduate From College Upper Elementary & Lower Secondary Math, Language, and Media Literacy Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: There is an archaic notion that an educator must have all of the answers in order to merit their rightful place at the front of the classroom. I think that idea is B.S! Or as my mom would say, "Bologna Slices!" Educators should avoid this trap at all costs. It is divisive and contrary to an engaging learning environment. It only serves to separate the one with the answers from those who are there to seek them out. At the heart of my instruction emerges a multi-strand rope that is threaded by students from all of my classes. We share care, kindness, responsibility, and otherliness within an environment of co-lead learners. In other words we create community, and share a collective duty to grow and strengthen it in common. In my opinion, sharing something in common like this with students must come first before any real learning becomes possible. Hence, why community building is at the foundation. If education was merely about compliance then it would quickly digress into indoctrination instead. Students need to know how much I care before they will be asked to care about what I know. Once established community can protect, support, challenge, be safe to fail, and succeed. Along the path, we become witnesses to the strengths and weaknesses of everyone. I am modelling my own humanity and incredible abilities to make mistakes alongside of the students. We become relentless encouragers of one another. We find the positive in the learning even when it looks like a train wreck in the process. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Long answer: It absolutely matters that students and teachers share things in common. We are a people longing to connect, whether it is on a superficial level of eating at the same restaurants and liking the same music, or at a deeper level of human struggle such as a compassion for social justice issues it is crucial that teachers and students have things in common. When we connect in school, we create community. When we create community, we create a caring classroom. Short answer: Yes. Will is part of the original cohort of TED-Ed Innovative Educators from around the world. Follow his adventures in teaching and learning on Instagram @imagemined, through his escheweducationalist blog, and on Twitter @WillGourley. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 4-6
White Cisgender Woman Queer Middle School Social Studies & Social Justice Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: There are layers to what my students and I have in common. Many of my kids are white. About half are girls. Most are cisgender. A handful are queer. And those, the first spokes on the intersectionality wheel, matter. The world hits us in similar ways, and we can immediately and visibly relate to each other’s experiences. But I’m not sure those are even the most important ways in which we are similar. I, apparently, have the sense of humor of an average middle schooler. Recently, a kid asserted that vegans had to be “tall… to get to the leaves at the top of the trees,” and I still haven’t really stopped laughing. We share a genuine and sincere appreciation of the importance of birthdays. We agree that sometimes it’s better to run outside in the snow and try to catch it than it is to just watch it fall. Honestly, I think what we share the most is a genuine interest in each other. They want to know the people they spend hours with every week, and I want to know and understand them. Together, we want to understand the world, the people in it, and the choices we all make. We don’t always agree, but we are certainly bound together by our mutual curiosity. In my social justice class (an elective that I started last year), this is especially true—and in that case, we’re also bound by a true passion for the subject. I just did a survey yesterday, asking my social justice students about their willingness to participate in a high-risk, quite vulnerable activity. I explained the activity in detail, and I gave them an anonymous survey. If even one person did not want for the activity to occur, we wouldn’t do it. If anyone wanted changes made to the activity (for example, changing or removing some of the questions asked), I’d make those changes. They have all opted to participate in the activity, and we’ll take that courageous leap on Monday. It may be hard, but I know that we’re all taking care of each other. With the kids with whom I have the deepest connection, what we share is a willingness to be vulnerable. We’re learning together, exploring the world and its intricacies as we go. Ms Frizzle (the greatest role model of my life) advises her students to “take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” and I think following this life approach together is an important point of connection. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: I’ve struggled with this question, because I feel equally and passionately that there are two truths that seem to directly conflict: 1. Of course it matters. Students should be able to see people like themselves represented throughout their lives, and that’s especially important when those people are in “role model” positions. 2. No, it doesn’t matter; what matters more is a genuinely caring relationship. I don’t have to have your experiences to care about them, and to believe you when you tell me about them. I think the reality is that Truth 1 helps facilitate a movement toward Truth 2. If kids can tell immediately that you share something in common with them, or if they learn about it, they’re more willing to trust the teacher. But if a teacher can communicate true regard for their students, in a way that students truly feel, then that can overcome a lot. A couple of years ago, I had a wonderful, quiet student in my class. She was reliable, kind, bright, and just a genuine pleasure. She isn’t one who would stay after class and talk, but we had a positive relationship. A year later, I had her younger brother as a student. When the sister saw my name on his schedule, she assured him, “Oh, you’ll like her. She’s really LGBTQ-friendly.” The brother is trans, and his best friend—another student of mine that year—is non-binary. Before they even arrived in my classroom, they already knew that I would… see them. I’m cisgender, and very feminine, but they knew that I could be their ally and advocate. The messenger matters, certainly—but I think the message matters even more. Litza is the founder of her school's popular Social Justice elective. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 20+
Jewish White Female First in Family to Graduate From College High School Honors Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Honors Problem-Solving Seminar Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I have a love of puzzles, and most of my students do, too. If we have a few minutes left in class, sometimes I will pose a riddle and the whole class lights up. I have a play table in the back of my classroom with various puzzles and games from childhood, such as Connect Four or the Cracker Barrel Wooden Peg puzzle, and students often come to my classroom early to play. I love watching the light in their eyes when they work on puzzles either together or individually and solve them - it's such a good feeling of accomplishment when you get something on your own, or even with a little help from someone else. Growing up, I was surrounded by a lot of love, but there was also a lot of turbulence in my family. My mother was married and divorced by the age of 19, with me, her nine-month old baby, in tow. I grew up living with my extended family--my grandparents, aunts, and an uncle. My father was not really present for me. My mother was more like a sister. We fought constantly, and I always went elsewhere for solace. For me, math put me in the present moment; I could do math problems or puzzles, and all the issues I had with my parents would go away. I like to give students problems that take their minds off of the baggage they bring into the classroom - we all have it. And for a few minutes each day, students can smile at the delight of solving the riddle or of the trickery involved in it. Even if they don't have the commonality of liking math, I try to make it fun for them so that we all can share those moments of joy when they think, "Aha!" or "I get it!" Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Yes, because when you instinctively see the problem that you had when you were growing up, you can help. For me, it was coming in with baggage or being a perfectionist. I work in a private school where most students strive for high grades. Personally knowing that sometimes you don't get the grade you think you deserve, I try to let them know that it will all be okay if they don't get that A on the first test. I even made a huge poster that says, "Everything will be OK," which I sometimes need to draw their attention to. But I have found that with math, it's not always about ability. I think the most important thing is letting them know that you believe in them. I had several adults in my life that thankfully believed in me, and I know that if a teacher thinks you matter or are important, your confidence soars in that class. Even if you don't have things in common, for example, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, every person deserves to feel important. As a Jew, I have been discriminated against, and I never, ever want my students to feel that way. My biggest priority in class, aside from getting the material across, is having a warm, inviting classroom for ALL students, whether we have commonalities or not. It's a privilege to be teaching my students, and I often learn more from them than they do from me. My job is to make them all shine, even if only for the moment that they are in my classroom. Lisa is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. She is the creative genius behind many brain-bending TED-Ed lessons such as Can you solve the locker riddle? and Can you solve the virus riddle? Follow her on Twitter @Lisaqt314 . Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 7-10
White Heterosexual Male High School English and Theory of Knowledge Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I work with students whose identities and backgrounds are largely very different from my own. Their life experiences and their relationships to school are shaped by a set of cultural, socio-economic, and institutional factors that I can't claim to have a full understanding of. That said, I think what we have in common is our interdependence, our vulnerability, and a deep curiosity about the world around us. These things might manifest themselves differently in each individual but I think they're universally present and it only takes a little relationship building and a bit of digging to start to see them emerge. When my classroom is functioning at its best, these are also the factors that drive everything we do. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Definitely. The points of commonality are what allow us to see ourselves in one another, and from there to a greater understanding of how valuable our differences are. Colin is the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle where he is also the Building Leadership Team chair. Learn more about Colin's work and how the IB program has transformed Rainier Beach here. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 20+
White Male 4th Grade Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I am fortunate to live in the community in which I teach--literally four blocks away. I can see eight houses of current or former students from my yard. At the grocery store wide-eyed first graders look at me and say hesitantly, "Are you Mr. Terry?" Or the braver ones, "'Hi, Mr. Terry." I have a Little Free Library in front of my house with a collection of books that kids and parents contribute to and take from. I am part of my community. My community is part of me. I share their predominantly white middle class culture. I know the places they buy candy and soda. I know the trails they use to walk to school. When a student says, "gross" to the pigs feet in a Chinese Stew, I get that. Of course, I remind them that that is our predominant white culture speaking, but I do get it as well. When a student tells me his baseball game is on Field 2, I get that. I'll walk my dog by and catch an inning or two after I am home from work. When I see a parent in the neighborhood, I ask about the child's coding camp, girl scout campout, or how the summer trip to Denmark went. Plus, I share about my family vacations, kayaking adventures, and bike rides. Furthermore, I share their curiosity about the world. Why do we line up quietly in the hallways? Check out that bug! What are the rules of four-square? How high are we allowed to climb on the play structure? Why? How can we get that ball out of that tree? Look at this nest I found in my backyard. I don't understand how to solve that problem, can you guys help we work it out? These are REAL questions and statements that I have said to my students in the past year, maybe even in one single day. I am filled with questions that often don't have clear answers. I want to know how and why things are the way they are--so do my students. Plus, I am impatient--definitely a trait of most 9 and 10 year-olds. I want to try the new curriculum tomorrow, not wait until I am fully trained. That first sunny day after all the rain, I can't wait to get outside and play. If the book I am reading is not grabbing me, I mostly just stop reading. I recently broke my collar bone playing soccer. Playing soccer is now over for me, but mostly because I can't get myself to play carefully--just like my students. P.E. and recess were definitely my favorite subjects when I was a kid. I pretty much hated school. I didn't learn to read until I was in the 3rd grade and never learned how to print in elementary school--I had to teach myself when I became a teacher. In the summer, I never wore shoes, hardly ever went inside, and was always on a bike, but I was also fairly scheduled with activities and vacations--like many of the middle class white kids I know. Lastly, it is important to me that students understand all of this is our privileged white culture. When my students complain about school, as I often did, I remind them that complaining about schools is a privilege. I get that school is not always fun and enjoyable--for some, hardly ever. But, when you are nutritiously fed, enriched at home, and have a warm comfortable bed in your own home right next to your personal iPad, school can pale in comparison. Mine always did as well. But this is not true for a majority of kids around the world. We need to recognize and appreciate the privilege of living in a predominantly white American community. I never recognized that as a kid. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Relationships are what matter. I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I do not remember the name of a single one of my elementary or middle school teachers. I have only a few vague memories of a 5th grade teacher who used to play basketball with us at recess, and I remember some of the playgrounds I went to. I never knew who my teachers were. They had a job to teach me content that I struggled to learn, and I had a job to sit there and be quiet. I used to wear holes in the tops of my shoes because I wiggled so much. I didn't have a relationship with a teacher until a high school Chemistry teacher invited a group of us over to his house and shared pictures from his native country of New Zealand. Then I knew him. Then I wanted to learn Chemistry. I don't think it matters that teachers and students have things in common. I think it matters that they work to understand who each other are as people. This entails understanding neighborhoods, cultures, and personalities. Of course, it makes our job easier if we share some of these things, like I do with my students, but it is not essential. Great teachers should be able to find common ground with any student who shows up in his or her classroom. Teachers need to build relationship and understand the people in front of them, and share about themselves--as people. My students don't need to know how to ride a bike to hear about the places I rode over the weekend, but they do need to know that it is okay to share things you are passionate about in my classroom. When the rain is coming down really hard and you can hear it on the roof of the school, I am the one who makes everyone be quiet and listen--I have even taking kids out to play in it. They know I love when nature acts unexpectedly. They know a lot more than that about me. So, I need to know them. I don't need to love pie like John does, but I need to be able to understand his love of pie is an important part of who he and his family are. I certainly can't sew like Lynne can, but I know sewing is something important to her, so I am interested in her projects. I haven't read all the books that Belle has, but I love hearing her summaries and connections to her books. We can't have something in common with every student. What is important is that each person in the room--teachers and students--are comfortable being themselves. Lyon Terry is Washington State's 2015 Teacher of the Year and is a founding member of the Washington Teacher Advisory Council. Connect with Lyon on Twitter @lyonterry. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 7-10
White Female Former Middle and High School Math Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I had braces twice when I was their age. I've had a broken arm. I wore glasses until I switched to contacts in 7th grade. I enjoy drawing and crafts. I love every kind of animal and I was always eager to see pictures of my students' pets. We listened to some of the same music and watched some of the same shows on television. My parents divorced when I was in high school. I’d participated in a lot of musical theater. But there was also a lot I didn’t share with most of my students. For the ones who did relate, I felt these these shared experiences bonded us much more closely than they realized. During my adolescence, I turned to self-harm and drug use because I didn’t know how better to express my emotions and pain. A suicide attempt my sophomore year in high school resulted in an eight-day stay in a psychiatric ward. I lost most of my friends because I tried to pretend that everything was okay and, quite frankly, I was a terrible friend. I bounced from relationship to relationship seeking the love and acceptance I was aching for. I also struggled with severe body image issues and an eating disorder I am still working to recover from. Since my adolescence, I have had friends enter rehab for alcohol or drug addiction, and over the years some have returned for the fourth or fifth time. I’ve experienced the grief of someone I loved committing suicide. So many of our youth are burdened too young with emotions and experiences similar to these. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Commonalities may make it easier for a teacher to include themes into their lessons that apply directly to students’ interests or hobbies, or tailor aspects of classroom life to cultures or celebrations that may otherwise be overlooked. It certainly helps to have more of an inside view about what a student has experienced or how they like to spend their time. However, I don’t think that teachers and students need to have things in common. A teacher may have to work harder if they don’t immediately have things in common with students, or to build those experiences that build commonality between people, but I don’t think it’s a requirement from the start. What is a requirement is the need for teachers to be able to put themselves in their student’s shoes and consider that individual as a whole person, not just as a student in that particular class. You can’t have something in common with everyone. We need to celebrate the differences in us all, be that a variety of political views, religious beliefs, personal convictions, passions, and fears. We need to be open to learn from each other (especially from our students) on whatever it is that is outside of our comfort zone or familiarity. Being able to appreciate what is inside each and every person is not something that we’re generally raised to do. But it is this quality that absolutely matters in creating an environment that is conducive to learning and growing, be that inside the classroom or outside. Merrill recently transitioned out of the classroom and is now a Program Manager for a business and consulting firm in Seattle. Connect with her on Twitter @MerrillJeanne.  Years in Education: 35+
White LGBTQ Male Kindergarten Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I am an out gay man who has stood in front of students every day for decades. To some that has meant nothing, others resented it, for others it confirmed that for them or their friends and relatives – you can be a successful adult and still be your best self. I’ve had high school students trust me and tell me they were gay or lesbian. Colleagues have also come out to me, although my fellow teachers often expressed that they were fearful of the community's response although they trusted me with their identity behind closed doors. Even a student's parent chose to talk to me when he realized he was gay. He said I was a role model on what could be – living a quiet but proud life, taking the punches and blows, but showing up every day ready to be there – for kids, for families, for myself. I was moved that he saw me in that light. We’re still friends 25+ years later. For some secondary students of various minority identities (based on their race, ethnicity, religion, etc.) they equated their challenges as similar to my experience as a gay man who is also not in the majority. They have often said things to me like, "Well, you know what it’s like…" Being a gay male teacher teaching primary students since 1978, I do understand difference. I also understand being attacked--personally, professionally, physically. I understand prejudice, presumptions, misinformation, and hiding in plain sight. I’ve been assaulted, chased for blocks by a gang of young men, a knife has been held to my throat, a gun has been pointed at my head, my car has been set on fire, I've been spat upon, and more, just for being me. I remember the first male cheerleader at a high school where I taught. He was straight, and he took a lot of abuse for being on the cheer team. There was also female athlete who excelled at her sports but then was harassed for being so ‘sporty.’ They both found me at some point and chose to trust me to vent, dump, or ask for help. I was grateful to be able to be there for them. Our first conversation in my classroom every year is about becoming friends and our last conversation is about staying friends and these moments of trust are a big part of that. I want to think that ultimately both students and I want to be at school. Even those students who ‘buck’ school I believe sense a need to be at school--it may not be the academic learning, instead it may be the social community. But at least they are on site. I can work from that. I want to be in my classroom every day. Even after 35 years I still think and feel that way. I strive to create an environment that reflects my dedication to my students and they know it. When students cross that classroom threshold I want them to think and feel that they are wanted, their presence matters, and that the room is different and complete when we are all together. Literally, on full attendance days I exclaim, “I LOVE days when EVERYone is here!” I’ve had students, some in my high school teaching and some in elementary, who did not want to be present. They posture through their various mechanisms – ignoring peers, routines, and me. Students have thrown objects at me, ripped my glasses off my face (elementary student), thrown me against a wall (high school student), in moments of utter frustration. It took longer for those students to see I was on their side. But, almost every one of my students eventually sees that I really don’t leave, I do what I say, I care about them, and I want to see them in class every day. At some moment, there is always a turning point. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Yes, it does. However, I believe it’s ultimately about relationships. I think this has proved to be true in my work as a teacher with my graduate students through my kinderkids. What did we experience in class? Did they remember what they learned academically? Nah, they remember how they felt. Thanks to social media I have the good fortune of being in contact with dozens of former students who initiated contact. I’m working my way through trying to see them now in person as adults--take them to dinner, go for a drink, meet their families. One of my favorite memories of realizing how important relationships are between students and teachers was on Halloween of 2014, when I was married. After 22 years of being with my partner, we were stunned when the legality of same-sex marriage actually occurred. After living as ‘out-laws’ for over two decades, we had mixed emotions. We choose to marry on Halloween – we thought, what a scream! Halloween is a big day at my school, old tradition. As I prepared my kinderkids for it, I had to tell them I would not be present that year. I was so distressed about telling them why. Despite an improving world and social advancements, I was still sweating saying out loud that I was gay to students. So, one of my lifetime great days, my impending LEGAL marriage, was clouded with my own baggage. To prepare to come out to my class, I talked with friends, told my administration, and warned my students' parents (who were all thrilled at my news). All of them looked at me so matter-of-factly. They loved me but hardly any knew of the attacks of the past and they didn't understand why I was struggling so much. On the day before Halloween, I told my students that I would not be at school for the festivities. Ohhh, that was not okay with them. “Well, why not?” Through sweat and a shaky voice I said, “Tomorrow, on Halloween, I am going to be married.” “MARRIED!?!! You? Why didn’t you tell us before today? That’s great. Lucky you… etc.” “What’s her name?” There it was. The question that I expected and made me re-visit all the past ugly moments, but I so wanted to embrace my joy in their company, too… “His name is Norbert.” Silence – uh oh. Some kids whispered to each other. “Did he just say ‘his name’ “? “You’re marrying a man!?” “Yes.” “Oh.” “Well, what are you wearing? Will it be a costume? How many costumes? What will you eat? Will people dress nice or in costumes? Will you dance?” And off they went talking about what mattered most – the party! I took a breath, grinned from ear to ear and became tearful. I realized I was in a most trusted company of friends who simply wanted to share in the joy. And that is what I needed most to know. I shed several layers of armour that morning and love them all the more for the gift of their care. Kevin is the University of Washington's 2009 Mentor Teacher of the Year. Read more about Kevin's journey here. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 4-6
White Heterosexual Male High School AP English Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: Throughout most of my education I was never known as a high-performing student. In fact, I was satisfied passing with Cs. The rare B’s I did receive I thought must have been through luck and polite behavior. I felt like I was just expected to pass and I was never motivated to achieve more than what was expected of me. I see now that I feared finding out that even with my best efforts, I may not be good enough. It was safer for me to not try hard in school. Similar to many students who enter my classroom, I never had a mentor who inspired me, or a teacher who invested their time into me outside the classroom. No one expected me to become better than who I already was. But in high school, that’s what I wanted. I longed for a relationship with my teachers. I was desperate for an adult to invest their time into me and to show me that I mattered. Simply put, I wanted to be known. I wanted to know that my teachers cared not just about my grades, but about me: who I was, my aspirations, and my passions. Now as a teacher I see that so many of my students want that same thing. I empathize with my students who have been expected to achieve very little. The ones who have been given up on. I see that society has stereotyped and labeled them and I try to see past those stereotypes and labels myself. If you were to come into my classroom, you would see a white, middle-class, heterosexual male teacher in front of a room of teenagers who are mostly Hispanic and Asian. A smaller population of my students are Pacific Islander, African American, and Caucasian. 70% of my students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Many of my students are 1st or 2nd generation immigrants who speak a variety of different languages. About 80% of our students at TEC High School are male. I may not look like a majority of the students in my classroom, nor have a similar socio-economic status, but what I do share with my students is the desire for relationships, to be affirmed and pushed to a higher expectation, and ultimately, to be known. During the year, as we share our stories with each other I have found that I have a lot more in common with my students than I originally thought. That is why we take the time to share our stories with each other and most importantly, to listen to one another. My hope is that we may see what we do have in common and in the end see the humanity in each other. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: I start each year telling my students about how I was not involved in high school and had no idea what I wanted to pursue in college. I tell them I went to college hoping to learn construction. I tell them about my insecurities including my fear of speaking in public. And then I tell them how I overcame those challenges to become a teacher. I don’t spend the first week of school having us tell our stories so that I can only get to know them, but more so that they can also get to know me. I hope that they can find some similarities between us and see that we’re not so different after all. Ultimately, I hope that they also learn to be okay with being vulnerable and learn to tell their story. Shortly after sharing with my students this year, I had a student come up to me at the end of the day and tell me that even though we look completely different, he saw himself in my story. We talked about our battles with anxiety and our fear of speaking in front of others, and how hard it is sometimes to motivate ourselves when there’s little support or purpose. By the time we ended our conversation, this student resolved to join ASB and get involved in assemblies so that he could overcome what has been holding him back for so long. It’s the connections like this, or finding out that I still relate to the humor of seventeen-year-old boys, or taking the time to share the music and shows we like, or even sharing the love for soccer and kicking the ball around after school that brings me to a resounding, YES! It does matter that students and teachers have things in common! It can be a groundbreaking moment when you realize how much in common you actually have with your students. When that moment finally breaks down barriers, there’s an increasing desire to learn and an increasing desire to teach and become a part of each other's story. Cameron is the Head of the English Department at TEC High School in Seattle. He is also a former a flag football/soccer/basketball coach. Connect with him on Twitter @CamMTown. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong  Years in Education: 4-6
White Female Heterosexual First in Family to Graduate From College Former High School International Studies Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: I grew up as a first generation college student with a stay-at-home mom and a blue collar father who worked most if not all weekends of the month, to enable my mom to stay home with us and to give us the opportunities my parents wanted us to have in our affluent suburb, where there was rampant elitism. I use the term "rampant elitism" because despite the fact that my family's class status didn't impede my academic success, from my perspective, the pressure and the boundaries of elitism were almost always present in my life, though often quiet and subtle. As a student, elitism was always more apparent in my peer group than in my teachers. Group project work sessions were always held at the homes which were more desirable. Certain students always won in our school elections and ran almost all of the school clubs. We had a strong population of students who refused any attire that was not clearly expensive. When it came time to drive, there was a clear divide between who was driving a new vehicle and those of us who sported something older. My experience as a student prompted me to be highly motivated to want to see a change in how other students experienced school. I know I felt just a shadow of what many other more significantly marginalized groups feel. I always wanted my classroom to be a safe space for students where they felt free to share their honest, even if at times controversial, opinions or feelings. My work ethic came from watching my family push in every way to offer me and my two younger siblings the best possible options for our futures. My dad was initially an elevator mechanic and eventually an industrial mechanic in the Everett Boeing plant. He switched to working nights instead of the prized day shift that he had held for over 20 years because the overtime was being cut on that shift and he didn't want our quality of life to suffer. He continued to work until was mandated to stop by a doctor due to a late diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer. I have no doubt he would have continued to work through his illness even longer without complaint if his brain tumors weren't affecting his balance on the catwalks. Even in the last weeks of his life, he complained that they wouldn't let him fix the crookedly hung paintings in his hospital room. The drive that my dad fostered in me is guided by my mom's influence. She is the reason I care so much about how people feel. Her gentle pushing and prompting, with firm, high expectations (regardless of my low starting point) inspired my classroom management approach when I was a teacher and led me to have great success with a wide swath of students at the different schools I worked in. My mother's influence is the reason I am so driven to connect to others. She taught me to value everyone's story and it's part of the reason that I am so passionate in being supportive however I can to every teacher I work with now. Ultimately, my mother is probably the reason that I am participating in ROLL CALL, despite the fact that I am usually not a big sharer of my feelings or personal life. I am hopeful that someone may glean something from all of my sharing that resonates with them. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: It absolutely matters that teachers and students have things in common. That bond and connection created by common interests motivates drive and motivation that cannot be replicated if a teacher does not take the time to find or create a common interest with a student. As teachers we are expected to be role models for our students, part of that status requires that we ensure that all students can see part of themselves in us so that we really can function effectively within that role for students. I am a white woman. That gives me an immediate connection to many of my of my white female students. For my nonwhite and male students, I find I connect with them better over time. Because we lack the obvious outward connections, it takes time creating that connection by sharing and establishing bonds over what experiences or values we both share. For me, sharing my background with my students that includes my love of sitting in the garage tinkering with my dad or baking with my mom for big family potluck gatherings was usually a great opening connection with my students who didn't automatically see themselves as similar to me. Krystal has recently transitioned out of the classroom to become her school's Instructional Technology Curriculum Leader. Connect with her on Twitter @KJStevie72. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong |
ROLL CALLHumanizing the gaps separating teachers and students. Archives
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