Teacher's Perspective

You Are Creativity and More!

Added on October 21, 2022 by Anonymous

You Are Creativity and More!

I come from an educational system that does not put as much emphasis on grades at such a young age as they do in the USA, at least not until the child is older. What I would like to say to all of the students at WPS is not to worry about the grade but to think instead, 'What have I learned?', and what is the next step. School should be a voyage of learning, and if someone becomes obsessed with a letter grade, rather than what they are actually learning, I think that is a shame. You are more than a letter scrawled onto a page. If you got a good grade, then great, but what does it ACTUALLY mean? Do you reflect on why you got a good grade, and what you took away from that period of learning? Do you think to yourself, what else could I learn about this? How could I extend my learning? Was this fascinating to me, or something that I only tolerate because I have to? Likewise, when you get a bad grade, do you ask why? What does this mean for me? Do you find out what exactly you didn't do well or understand so that you can fix it for next time? The WHY is more important than the grade. Why am I studying this? Why is it important? What does it mean to me? Don't reduce your brainpower to a letter grade. You are so much more than that. You are creativity and problem solving. You are design and debate. Don't do things for a grade, do them because they matter to you and you know the reason why!

 

A Teacher Reflects Back

Added on September 23, 2022 by Anonymous

A Teacher Reflects Back

Dear WPS Students:

If I had the chance to go back to middle school and high school there would be some things I would do differently. Although I am a teacher- and teachers love learning- we all didn't start off perfectly and I am certainly one of those. Here are some pieces of advice that I think will help you capitalize on your chances of making the most of your education and the time and resources in front of you all.

  1. Don't be afraid to ask questions/make mistakes. Nervous that the teacher will think you are weird for asking a question? Afraid of taking a more difficult class because you might not get an A? Shy because of what you are going to look like in front of your secret crush? Your education is yours and you have every right to ask questions, challenge yourself and make mistakes; whoever makes fun of you for this or criticizes you is not on the true path to learning.
  2. Read!Read as much as you can about whatever topic you are interested in. I know you have heard this before but the truth is that so much of our productive time is wasted on doing unproductive tasks. Instead of reading a magazine, a book for school/pleasure, or researching world events, we watch TV, surf the Internet for meaningless things or worry about superficial nonsense. Get off of Facebook, don't worry who is dating who, don't worry about whatever reality TV show's next episode may bring, or if someone has a nicer car than you. All of that time can instead be used for discovering something new and bettering yourself. So get out there and read!
  3. Push yourself to read outside of your interests. If you love science, try reading something about art. If you love theater, try reading something about history. You never know just what you might stumble upon and how it can benefit and change you. I believe we should all strive to be comprehensive learners and learn many topics from the whole gamut.
  4. Gain discipline Not only should you push yourself to read and to read other topics, but push yourself to learn and see the value of other subjects. Don't think that just because something is boring, or not 'your thing' that you can't learn from it. Be open and give it a chance. This requires discipline and patience. Too often I see students who lose interest, motivation and respect for a topic because it does not offer instant gratification like an IPAD or a play station would. Learning can be fun but its not all entertainment. And yes let me point that out…you are not in school to be entertained. Learning requires discipline to be able to appreciate these moments of diversion.
  5. Think of the bigger world. You must start to realize that the more you learn about the bubble outside of yourself, your school, your neighborhood, your state, your country, and even the earth, the more you will discover your own place and purpose. There are people just like you in other parts of the world…learn about them! This world and universe is a neat place so take interest in it all.

From a WPS teacher

 

Difficult Middle School Years

Added on April 21, 2022 by Anonymous

Difficult Middle School Years

Sometimes as a child I would describe myself like an egg. On the outside a hard shell, smooth and flawless in appearance but on the inside a mushy soft, runny liquid.

I'll explain…

I was put ahead a grade in 1st grade basically because I knew my ABC's and could read while our Pre-K students now a days can recite their ABC's and read in usually more than one language:) With a late spring birthday this made me very young for the class which was like a neon sign saying come pick on me. I was lucky academically where I liked school and the subjects came easier than normal to me, again a flashing neon sign. I was painfully shy and didn't have a lot of friends, this time the flashing neon sign is playing a tune here, you follow me?:) Grades 1-5 were uneventful, no one noticed me so I went about business without any problems. By 6th grade though, that was another story. My middle school years were tough. I was picked on and ridiculed. I wasn't physically bullied, it was all verbal which to me is worse. I would've much rather been hit once and been able to walk away with an external bruise, instead I had to be the egg, hard on the outside but a pile of mushy liquid inside.

Unfortunately, I have no words of advice on how to deal with a similar situation at the time of occurrence I put my head down and prayed my way through but I can tell you now that those crucial years most definitely made me the person I am today. I have tolerance, I have compassion, and I have empathy. Strangely enough I'm an eternal optimist, I see the good in everyone and everything. I am a parent who will not tolerate my child treating their friends and peers with anything but respect and courtesy. I will not partake in gossip or hearsay and I only surround myself with positive people. Sounds like I got it all together right, not in the least! I don't talk about my middle school years often but I will divulge them to a crying student who thinks no one could possibly know what they are going through at the moment. I hope to give them some hope, some reassurance and some optimism. Because everything you do in life shapes what kind of person you can become.

Anonymous

 

It's OK to say NO

Added on March 16, 2022 by Mr.Masem

It's OK to say NO

When I was in high school, I was in a special math and science program that pushed students to go as far ahead as they could. I'd already been a year or two ahead of most of my class thanks to my middle school math classes, but my Sophomore year of high school, I was pushed even farther.

A special independent study program was created for about 6 of us to finish Calculus by the end of the summer and begin Calculus 2 in our Junior year, then going to the local junior college our Senior year to take more advanced math classes. Being someone who thought I'd be majoring in math, I said yes and began the program. The problem became when the work got hard, and the independent study teacher didn't have time to explain it, and I started becoming interested in journalism. I realized my Sophomore year that there was more to high school than just math. I'd joined a sports team and was interested in joining the newspaper. With so much else on my plate, I walked in on the last day of school and turned in my Calculus book that I'd barely been understanding as an independent study class and told my teacher I'd just take it again the next year.

What followed were meetings with the teacher and guidance counselor and my parents. In the end, I kept playing sports, ended up being editor of the high school newspaper, and still finished two years of Calculus before graduation. The writing knowledge and practice I got on the newspaper helped in writing my $36,000 college essay (as I called it because of the scholarship money it awarded). The diversified program I ended up working out did far better for me than just a plain math education. It even led me to double major in college in both Mathematics and Elementary Education.

Don't just let yourself be led through your school life by people telling you to do stuff just because you can or just because it's offered. Take control of your education and branch out. You never know what you're going to end up doing, so experience as many things as possible now! It's OK to say NO to some classes, experiences, clubs, etc. Especially when it allows you to say YES to others!

Mr. Matt Masem

5th Grade Math Teacher

 

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