Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1505501
What does it mean to you to be an educator? When it comes to being an educator, my mantra is, "I don't teach music, I teach students." This is not to say the content we teach isn't important , but it is instead a vehicle to reach, support and inspire students. It 's one thing to give a great performance, but it 's another thing to work collaboratively towards build- ing a diverse classroom community that celebrates all voices in the ensemble. Students connect with and understand themselves and each other through their shared experiences, and I am thrilled to be able to help facilitate these as an educator. Advice about making connections with students? Taking the time to build the rapport and community early in the year pays divi- dends when the material gets challenging as things progress. How can we build this rapport? We can take the time to get to know the students' interests beyond the classroom, to understand what motivates them and why they signed up for Ben Case M U S I C T H E O R Y & I N S T R U M E N TA L M U S I C T E A C H E R Irvine Teachers Association Lauren Camarillo H I G H S C H O O L S PA N I S H T E A C H E R , Mountain View- Los Altos Union High School District Teachers Association curriculum. Planning a cool, fun lesson is great, but it's a tiny piece of the puzzle. What is the biggest challenge as an educator, and what is your approach/solution to overcoming it? It's challenging to reach all my 150 students. I remind myself that every interaction matters, even a greeting at the door before class starts, or a message to families about how great the student has been doing in class. I may not get to connect closely with all my students, but I can make a conscious effort to learn about their lives and recognize their strengths. Another challenge is maintaining hope in a challenging profession. Teaching can be isolating, but we have an enor- mous responsibility to our young people to instill hope and optimism in them, so we need to do everything in our power to let our passion and care extend to them. Whether this means connecting with a colleague from another depart- ment, or taking time to do things we love outside of school that refuel us, we must make sure we're bringing our best selves to our students daily. What would you say to fellow educators as they embark on another school year? As I have my students chant in class to encourage each other, "¡Sí, se puede!" In the words of the incredible labor leader and activist Dolores Huerta, the goals we have as educators, both within our classrooms and in the whole edu- cational system, are possible. Just as we want to encourage students to use their voice, we as teachers should use ours to make positive change. Teaching is the most challenging, gratifying, uplifting, emotional, inspiring profession there is, and we are so fortunate to get to play a role in our students' futures. Lean on your colleagues, friends and families when you need to so that you can bring your best teacher self for- ward daily! ¡Sí, se puede! Advice about making connections with students? I am a strong believer that what you invest in the first few weeks of school in community-building and norm-setting, you will gain back throughout the year with committed, excited students. I have heard many times " You don't start actually teaching until Week 3 or 4?" Teaching is not just covering curriculum. We need our students to know us, know each other and learn how the room functions with respect and collaboration before they have the right mindset to learn content. A tip for the first weeks of school: Have students do mini-presentations about themselves, so you can get a glimpse into their identities and they can find commonalities with each other. I have students make avatars of themselves or hands that we put on the wall to show our connections. What do you wish someone had told you when you were a new educator? It's not about you. Try viewing your teaching through the eyes of your students, taking into account their daily strug- gles and successes. Teaching is about students' safety in their identity, and then, much later, their connection to your 22 cta.org Feature