Brett Adams, 08-09: Changing the World One Day at a Time
“Mr. Adams, you’re not coming back next year? That’s going to suck.” These blunt but honest words from 7th grader Javier put into perspective a year’s worth of slow moving change and underlying connections which, while not always visible, will remain deeply imprinted on my heart and character. Coming into this year of service I really didn’t know what to expect. It was my first year out of college and my first year involved in teaching at any level.
Needless to say, I was ready for a good deal of confrontation and I was content to adhere to a trial and error approach, at least for the first few weeks.
Through the struggles, and there were many, I gained a core of valuable lessons and experiences that I will always remember.
Throughout the year by leaning on the support and advice from my fellow teachers and staff members, I was able to settle into my teaching style and gained the tools necessary to combat often unruly students. Slowly growing my bag of tricks, school became less of a war zone and became a place where I had a niche and a purpose.
Still, it wasn’t until Javier’s phrase was uttered that I fully realized that my job over the past year consisted of much more than simply punching in and punching out of work each day. My assignment was more than just a job. It was a chance, an opportunity to make an impact, however big or small, on a child’s future, outlook, or success. The kids that I worked with, whether they’d admit it or not, were influenced by the things I said and did, and I was influenced by them. Through this interaction, I have gained a determined spirit to continue to work for the education of young people whether that be in a classroom setting or not. I strongly value the experience I gained this year and will look back on it with pride and satisfaction.