March 2010 • Volume 41 • Number 4 • Page 50
Letter from the President
Cathie ThibodeauAs I sat down to write this piece and looked at the themes of Caring Relationships, Classroom Management, and Teacher Leadership, it was apparent that there was a common theme: passion.
Caring relationships are built by educators who have the passion for educating young adolescents and who recognize their uniqueness. A teacher will not give up on that recalcitrant student but, instead, digs deeper into his or her bag of strategies to find a way to reach students. The relationships are built on mutual trust, and it takes time to build that trust. When students know the teacher cares and trusts, they try harder to please the teacher—showing up, doing work that is vigorous, and asking questions.
This same trust carries over into classroom management. By trusting the kids and giving them a voice and ownership in the norms for a classroom, students feel empowered and trusted to monitor their own behavior. In Managing the Madness by Jack Berckemeyer there are many strategies readers can use at their discretion. I particularly like the fact that Jack includes humor. A person cannot work with 10- to 14-year-olds without a sense of humor, joy, and trust.
When I think of teacher leaders, I again think of those educators with the passion for middle level education and the ability to put rhetoric into reality—to build those trusting relationships with adults and students who challenge and support each other to succeed. I believe it starts in the classroom and grows with nurturing and guidance from administration. One way to see if this leadership role is a good fit is to share the team leader position.
Businesses often have teams work on projects and present them to clients or management. The business model trusts the teams to do their job. A wise principal in New Hampshire once said that you need to explain to the teachers what needs to be done and then trust them to do it.
Therefore, as middle level educators with passion, I trust all of you to do the best thing for our kids. It makes a world of difference.
Copyright © 2010 by National Middle School Association