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The part where they were talking about the newest, least experienced teachers being a revolving door in the schools with the highest needs really resonated with me. In my first 3 years of teaching, I transferred with ADM to 5 schools in our city's most needy neighborhoods. It was the hardest 3 years and the ones filled with the most growth. There is no way that I would have been humbled in the same way teaching anywhere else. It completely changed me as both a teacher and person- for the better.

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I was really touched when a teacher said "I wanted to be be part of a change" I am doing the things with all my heart trying to get a good change for my students. Making feel them important and loved to engage them in their learning.

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I was really touched when a teacher said "I wanted to be be part of a change" I am doing the things with all my heart trying to get a good change for my students. Making feel them important and loved to engage them in their learning.

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Growing up in a low-class household where my parents struggled finically really hit home for me. The boy, in the beginning, was someone that I can relate to and see the inequity in our society. The reason I become an educator is to make a difference in people to always be an inspiration to others.  In Washington Township as a student, I felt that there were teachers who believed in me, pushed me, and has given me the learning opportunity. As I saw this documentary, I can see Indianapolis changing demographics and students are moving to "better school" in the suburban areas. My purpose for my students is always to be there for them and believe in them. Every day I think about "how I can be the best role model and give the armed love to ALL of my students. I feel that my professional is a blessing where I am able to make a difference and plant the seeds in my students.

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Wow,  from the beginning listening to Bradley talk about his mom telling him he had two strikes: male and black.. to Maria telling her story about leaving El Salvador and thankful to be here because so many bad people were there, my heart is so frustrated for them. America spends more money to run a prison/juvenile system than they do to provide an equitable education to all students. Make it make sense...

I connected with the teacher, Ruth Harnish the most. I got my education from IUPUI and they base their teachers on learning how to be effective teachers in the urban setting. After one week at Arsenal Tech High School, I knew what students I wanted to serve. It breaks me that just like she said, some students won't have a fighting chance based on their zip code. We have to fill them up with love they so need and inspire them to do great things, because they most certainly can do it just like the other teacher Tamika Jordan said. I am thinking of a quote I saw one time..

"If they're unresponsive today, you love them harder. Maybe you can teach them tomorrow."

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I connected with the word "urgency" and how we must act now to build the relationships and trust with students and families. Ot brings me back to Mrs. Brown saying, "We are here on purpose." We are here to be the teachers that our students and families need right now. We must help them by making sure their needs are met, not just academically, socially and emotionally, but basic human needs as well. It reminded me of why I chose to be a teacher, why I chose Washington Township ad why I chose to work at Greenbriar and Willow Lake.

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I connected with Bradley saying "teachers don't know what I'm going through." I can't begin to pretend I know what students are going through who live with violence, hunger, racism, etc.   It makes my heart heavy to know that so many students live in that reality. I feel like that is my purpose to be that person to love them. 

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I connected with Bradley saying "teachers don't know what I'm going through." I can't begin to pretend I know what students are going through who live with violence, hunger, racism, etc.   It makes my heart heavy to know that so many students live in that reality. I feel like that is my purpose to be that person to love them. 

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Students need someone in their corner. Cheering for them, loving them, teaching them.  Virtual learning, with all its flaws, has given me a closer view into my students' daily lives.  While it breaks my heart sometimes to see their environments, it renews my purpose in doing what I do.  

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There are no difficult kids to teach, just students facing difficulties due to a negative environment or lack of support. Therefore, there is one only and possible solution: To give those “difficult kids” support. Those kids require improvements in their academics. YES!

But the least important aspect at that point is a good grade. They badly need someone to trust. Reliance, not dependence.

If I judge myself, I would certainly say that my former school year was a successful one. I remember one name: JEREMY. I proofed that consistency, discipline and support are key elements to help those kids. I was also successful to teach academic contents.

I really like one part of the video about a “fresh new starting.” Every single day is a new opportunity to reach those students. In my personal opinion, academic performance is important for daily life. Socio-emotional wellbeing is essential to humans (as a whole).

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil”

C.S. Lewis

(cleverer – but original quotation is “more clever”)

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There were many things I connected with from this video. I thought about where I grew up in Northwest Indiana. When I went to do an observation as an 19 year old in a kindergarten classroom and the morning class was students of color and then the afternoon class was white. I remember being mad about it! I loved the lady who said that students need "someone rooting for them". I hope that I am that for my students.

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The relationships that we build with the kids are so important. When the teacher towards the end said that we need to love them a little more and push them a little more. The kids will only allow us to push them and want to meet our high expectations if they feel like we care about them and will help them through the hard things--both in and out of the classroom.

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This 8 minute segment of this documentary has my mind swirling with thoughts and connections. My boyfriend, Edward, grew up in a low income family with an alcoholic father in Altheimer and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I have been down to Pine Bluff with him several times to visit family. It is a poor community with many of the businesses closed with windows boarded up. The boy in the beginning struck me when he said "I don't know how I made it and they didn't." Edward has made a successful life for himself while the rest of his family are still living in challenging circumstances. I remember a conversation we had about a teacher/coach he had who was a mentor and encourager. I didn't really think much of it at the time, but after watching this video segment I am sure that teacher who believed in him had a big impact in where he ended up later in life. As a teacher, you just never know what impact you are having on someone's whole entire future.
The other thing that struck me is the inequity. Sadly, I see it all the time but it never ceases to shock me.
Overall, after watching this video I am left with the question, "What can I DO to make a significant difference in this system of inequity and injustice."
There are so many other connections I made while watching this, but if I continued, this would be TLDR moment (and it might already). I can't wait to watch the whole documentary.

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I connected with Ms. Jordan and her response that every child needs someone to love them. I wholeheartedly agree. My heart broke for both students speaking. There are so many obstacles in front of our students and learning isn't at the top of the list as many basic needs aren't being met.

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It made me think of my varied teaching experiences in different districts – one in a more middle class district and several in lower income districts. It’s hard. When they spoke about needing the best teachers in the toughest districts, it resonated with me. I understand the logic behind that, but I also don’t condemn any teacher for not wanting to teach in a “tough” school. From my experiences, what can make all the difference is the leadership and logistical organization of the school. Those things can make teaching there a lot easier or a whole lot harder.

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I connected the most with the Principal speaking about urgency.  I constantly feel a sense of urgency when it comes to my students and their supports. It also resonated with me when the principal spoke about giving teachers quality and consistent professional development in order to give our neediest kids the highest quality teachers. It made me think about how resource and intervention specific PD can be hard to find.

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I see very real parallels to the way public education has been deliberately designed in Indianapolis, and cities around the country.
I have not seen this documentary before, however I am quite interested and will watch it soon! However, I would highly recommend the Crispus Attucks High School documentary from WFYI and the podcast, "Nice White Parents," which I am currently listening to now.
I connect with feeling as some of these teachers do - in wanting to be a part of positive change especially for the most disenfranchised of our children. I wonder, often, how this fits into the actual frameworks we are a part of. I think schools are often very skilled at "word-smithing" and highlighting buzz words and forming committees to evaluate and plan and such, but how are we taking real action at dismantling systems of oppression rather than painting billboards of an idealistic world (or education system in this context) that does not yet exist.

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I really liked the need for the word "urgency". The connection between students and teachers and staff and communities is not something that should be delayed. We are all working together for the same goal, and that includes urgently connecting as a community.

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It was hard listening to the students express their concerns and struggles for their day to day life. I wonder what would happen if we sat down with each of our students and found everything that's going on at home. Students come to school everyday with struggles that we can only imagine but we ask them to dive into learning and focus for 8 hours. I come to work after a rough morning and have a very hard time focusing myself.

I also connected with the principal when he stated that he wants his kids to go to a divers school. I've always stated that one of my favorite things about my childhood was attending North Central. I truly feel it has impacted my life more than I even know. I think its important that schools are divers and embrace all cultures equally. Students should feel at home at school not like an outsider.

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One of the things that I really hit home for me with was the young girl sharing her story. Last year I had several students in my classroom who were not born here. As we explored different topics, there stories started to come out.
It was heart breaking to hear their experiences in their home country, and the process they had to go through in order to end up in my classroom. They had and still are experiencing things that I as an adult have never experiences or hope to experience.

It is essential that we are stopping and listening. We have to let them know they are worthy of being heard and that they do matter.

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I really connected with the need to build relationships with students.  To be a soft place to land as they put themselves out there, in order to learn.  I loved what the principle said about there is urgency to make things equitable and that is why he is there.

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I connected with Ms. Harnish when she said "I wanted to teach children who otherwise might not have had the greatest education because of where their zip code is.

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The quote that I resonated with the most was, "We just need a warm body." At my last place of employment, this was often used. It was degrading, and hurtful to hear the lack of care our students in that building. Our kids deserve more than "a warm body."

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The story of Little Rock is the story of America. The story of segregation and red lining is the story of America. And we see the effects of racism in every institution; profoundly in public education. I connected with the statement about urgency. I connected with the statement about effective teachers being the single most contributing factor to a child's success in school, and that daily professional development creates and maintains effective teaching. The spirit of servitude towards a greater cause urges me to continue to educate and reeducate myself to better serve students, and we need teachers that believe in this kind of ongoing work. I also am reminded, listening to Catoria, Maria and Bradley that students have a voice and can very clearly tell us what they need, if we just take the time to listen.

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I connected with the heart of the teachers.  Wanting to be there for kids who need us most.

I appreciated the idea that the neediest kids need the best teachers.  We are here on purpose.

Every day I am personally striving to live up to the principal's last statement.  "Is our identity wrapped up in equity."  We need to be   this way for our students, with urgency.

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I connected with the students who at such a young age are able to understand what is missing from their education. I was one of them at some point. That is why I am here today. I am here to teach students about where I came from. There is hope, and my teachers (just like the ones in the video) made sure I knew that. Now it is my turn to be who my students need, who I needed when I was growing up. The relationships we build with students will stick with them, give them hope,  and will ultimately help them build a positive identity.

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Urgency to be wrapped up in equity.

When children know we care, they care to learn.

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One quote that stuck out to me was "it's difficult to learn when your needs are not being met." I thought about how that young boy in the video had a lot of other things going on at home - parents arguing, him fighting for his life everyday, friends passing away, etc. School was the last thing on his mind. There weren't any teachers at his school that he felt actually cared about his well being. I'm sure there are students here at Willow Lake who feel that same way. It's our job to make sure they feel loved and taken care of with our time with them here at school.

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I'm reminded that so often we are so caught up in our own human experience that we aren't able to see the human experience of those around us. I hope that we are continuing to work to really see every student as a person- not just a score in a class or a source of frustration to us when things get tough. We all need to be seen and heard first.

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Relationships are key to what we are doing on a daily basis. If we are not meeting the basic needs of our students, how are we expecting them to learn.

And while content is important, it can wait. We must have those relationships built first and then find ways to engage our students in their own learning.

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When one of the teachers from Baseline Academy was being interviewed she was talking about bringing quality educators to a school that is clearly struggling.  I connect with this because I have had the opportunity to work alongside many quality educators within this district who work so hard to achieve exactly what this school wants to...  successful education for all students.

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This is was resounded with me the most: "We need to see some urgency." These kids deserve the best. It's difficult to learn when your basic needs aren't being met. If someone would just love them a little more, push them a little harder, we would see the grow and even soar!

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Two quotes really stuck out to me from the documentary. "It's difficult to learn when your needs are not being met" by Ms. Johnson and "We have a lot of students that need someone that loves them" by Ms. Jordan.

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The part that resonated the most to me was the idea that we as teachers need to take time to build relationships with our students. They often have a lot more going than we even realize. One of the teachers said that a lot of these students need someone who loves them and I strive to be one of those people for my students.

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This statement stands out every time I watch this.
" Teacher quality, teacher effectiveness, is the single most important in school factor that will determine how a young person does in school".
Takeaways:
*Building meaningful relationships with students can make a difference in their lives and in our classrooms.
* Get to know them. Try to understand what they're going through. Stop the stereotypes and assumptions. Simply talk to them and accept who/where they are.
*it's very difficult to learn when your basic needs are not being met.
There is so much work to do!

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In this video I think what resonated with me the most was when the teacher was talking about not giving up on the students but recognizing that as a teacher we should be loving them more and challenging them more and kind of recognizing them where they are but not giving up on them. I feel like with our population we do see similar situations with our students who don’t have all the resources they need to be successful and listening to the older students vocalize about their community was really impactful. I wonder what more we can be doing to make sure students feel heard and valued in our school.

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Building relationships with our students is so important.  Truly listening to them so they are heard builds that trust.  What we do is important and we need to be the very best for each one of our students.  Our students need our love and support. This video has inspired me to spend more time getting to know my students even more and doing more to encourage, inspire, and love them.

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I was really touched by the little girl who cried when she expressed her happiness with being here and cried remembering her past. "We are here on purpose" applies to our students too.  I wanted to hug her. I wanted to hug all our kids.  My morning duty is (or was) the story pit. Every morning I give high fives and hugs and sometimes I remind sad kids to have great days. It really made me think about our kids who need us right now and what can I do to be sure I am helping them the best we can.

I also really felt the principal's message of "I need some urgency now." I am working with a diversity team right now and I keep hearing "We want to do the work but we are concerned with the time." I would love to hear "We have to do this NOW. What are we waiting for?"

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Bottom line the relationships we build with our students has to be our focus at all times. Content can wait because we know that without their basic needs met, students cannot begin to learn the material. Having grown up in Washington Twp, the high level of diversity in our schools is valuable to every member of our community.

Moving forward, I am reflecting on this question: What can I do to continue to build relationships with my students as the year goes on, not just today, but everyday?

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A teacher said, "We have a lot of students who need someone to love them," and I thought so do we, and so does every school.  Every child deserves to be noticed and loved at school.  We are warm wings.  How am I "warm wings" for my students?

Another teacher said, "These students can't wait another day." Do I feel the urgency, like the young principal said?

Lastly, Lowell Milken shared, "Teacher quality and teacher effectiveness is the single most important in school factor that will determine how a young person does in school."  Am I working  with all of my heart and all of my mind for my students every day?

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Listening the high school boy share about his experiences and the girl at the end share about her fear and see her tears.

What would I change if I could interview each kid in my classroom like that? If I truly listened and heard what was going on at home, what would I change? This is the question that is sitting with me.

What can I do to create listening opportunities like that in my class now?