Farewell Friends

Hello Beautiful People,

Might I just say it has been wonderful writing for you. At times there were moments where I could not capture my experience here at GSE in full, which is why I am confident your experience will venture beyond words as well. Although, I have graduated I will remain in Philadelphia until June, teaching full time at my student teaching placement. Once school is out I will move back to California for a month, then return to the East Coast, specifically New York. I have accepted a job offer to be a Social Studies/ English middle school teacher at school in Harlem. I am extremely excited by what the future holds and satisfied by the present moment. I hope my journal has been helpful or at least entertaining. Please feel free to reach out to many with any questions, comments etc.

Farewell,
Chelsea
cfull@gse.upenn.edu

A Lot To Be Thankful For

With everything coming to an end I have much to be thankful for. Not only have I managed to complete an intensive Masters program, I am currently working full time and have two job offers for next year. This year has been one of many up and downs, but with the support a great team, passion and the help of a higher power I have made it through.  I am proud of myself for the personal growth I have experienced. It is not easy moving across the country away from one’s family and closet friends. Initially, I did not know if I would be able to manage but I have and for that I feel triumphant. Next year will mean another transition, a new location, new job and new lifestyle completely. Nonetheless, I am excited for what it is in store and open to the possibilities. 

Defining Teaching and Learning

Throughout the program we have been encouraged to define and redefine teaching and learning. We wrote our first definition in the summer time and were asked to return to it again in our final portfolios. Here is what I came up with:

Returning to the definition of teaching I created this past summer, I still believe teaching is multilayered and must establish different objectives based on the context and population one is teaching. Teachers at any moment may serve as friends, parental figures, counselors, and student/community advocates. Depending on the context and need, teaching can include the provision of psychological, emotional and spiritual support. Inherent to this process is learning for both parties. I have learned through experience that both student and teacher can be changed as a result of the relationship. Moreover, neither role is static as roles may be switched in some instances. 

 Nell Noddings asserts that “Teachers model caring when they steadfastly encourage responsible self-affirmation in their students. Such teachers are, of course, concerned with their students' academic achievement, but, more importantly, they are interested in the development of fully moral persons.”(10)Beyond developing academics, I am interested in cultivating critical thinkers, who possess empathy and a strong sense of self.

 Teaching should derive from a place of love and a genuine concern for the betterment of the individual and society as a whole.  This does not just mean concern for those who are excelling but concern for those who seem to go unnoticed; and concern for those who may be written off as lazy and disinterested. For me teaching and learning is the vehicle by which we can transform our society.

Student Teaching Comes to End...Lessons From the Field

It was not until my final day of student teaching that I realized how connected I felt to the students in room 236. After collecting their exit surveys, I began to tell them how much I enjoyed teaching them but could not finish because I got too choked up. The students quickly noticed and exclaimed “Aww Ms. Fuller don’t cry,” then ran and hugged me. While, they stressed me out continually and often left me feeling drained simply put,  my ninth graders have taught me a lot. Like it is okay to discipline a student, they will get over it. Give students clear directions; while simultaneously allowing for creative freedom. Be intolerant of disrespect to their classmates. Love them as if they are your own but allow them to mistakes and learn from them. Have something to say and they will listen.

From the students in room 236, I also learned the importance of building caring relationships. In the article “Moral Education, ” Nell Noddings explains that, “The cared- for is essential to the relation. What the cared for contribute to the relation is a responsiveness that completes the caring. This responsiveness need not take the form of gratitude or even direct acknowledgement. Rather, the cared-for shows either in direct response to the one caring or in spontaneous delight and happy growth before her eyes that the caring has been received. The caring is completed when the cared for receives the caring.”(10) On the last day through a hand made card(pictured below), one of my students revealed to me her acceptance of my caring.

My Reflections on Supporting Students with Special Needs

Initially I was frustrated with the common response of “it depends” to most of all my questions related to special needs, but now I understand. Like most things in education, there is no “one size fits all” to supporting students with special needs. The category of “Special needs” is a broad and dynamic arena that is even more layered by student’s age, socioeconomic status, culture and general persona. Over the course of the year I have come to learn that labels like “ES” “MR” or “SLD” are not telling of who a child is.  When one takes a view of a child that is solely based on the label next to their name, they are taking a deficit view and surely missing key aspects.  

Although social stigmas might suggest other wise, I believe all of my students are endowed with unique gifts. Moreover, as there teacher it is my role to figure out how to draw upon those gifts. In short in moving forward in my practice I will approach each of my students with two big questions: what are your dreams and gifts? And how can I support and build upon them?

Spring Break

Unlike other programs in GSE TEP’s  Spring Break is aligned with the School District of Philadelphia. So this past week students and student teachers were able to get away. Nonetheless, somehow my break slipped away from me. Instead of going home, I decided that I would use the break to search for jobs, go on interviews, work on my master’s portfolio and get ahead on planning. Unfortunately, the position I informed you about in the last post, is not guaranteed for next year.  As one might predict only one of those (on my spring break laundry list) really happened. I was able to arrange four different interviews and two demo lessons with schools in NY. After much grooming by our GSE career services representative Jim Alton, I went in and tried to make my resume come alive. I have received one job offer thus far (yay!) and will be waiting to hear back from others. Meanwhile, in thinking about the future I let the present slip away. So in short I will spend the rest of my weekend getting ready to teach next week, working on my masters portfolio and hopefully sleeping. 

A New Position

Hello World,

With so much going on I have not had time to update you. So as you know, I am currently a student in teacher's ed., getting certified in Secondary Social Studies. Upon the recommendation of the school principal at my student teaching placement, I was recently site selected to be emergency certified in English, in order to teach in a pilot academy for repeat ninth and tenth graders. As a result, I teach both English and History; and function as a student teacher and a certified teacher within the school. (crazy right!) So in short the past month has been intense. I teach two English II courses, one English I and I am still teaching my ninth grade World History course. Oh yes and I am a full time student at Penn. Yet with all the craziness this position has been such a blessing. While I had intended to add on an English Cert., I will now have real experience teaching both. Moreover, I also have real incite on what it means to be a full-time teacher, plus I have my own classroom (yipee). The academy started March 5th (yes mid school year) and we have been pushing forward ever since. On March 3rd some of my wonderful friends and I came together to help me Christen my room. Lesson planning and grading for three different courses and four different groups of students is well, no joke but what can I say I love the rush.. Stay tuned more updates on this endeavor.