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I learned from Ryder and Rotimi that their social, emotional, and academic development isn't linear. That the zig zags in their journey are fine and I must never give up on our mission of creating loving and supportive spaces for them.

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6th grade crew has taught me all about connecting virtually through Roblox, Korean Pop groups, and the joys of starting the day by sharing a meal together. My 11-year-olds have shown me to find joy in every bit of a challenge no matter the stakes.

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RiRi in 9th grade has taught me that students are great advocates for themselves. She's identified her academic struggles and is trusting us to meet her needs as a learner; socially and emotionally.

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As a new teacher, many of my students have taught me a lot about WESS. Joseph Fine in 10th grade has been an especially great resource, as we happen to know each other outside of WESS. I have leaned on our familiarity with one another, especially in the early days of Crew classes. Having his perspective on WESS's culture, students, and teachers has been very valuable as I have assimilated into a new environment.

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Ali has taught me along with cruz, zion, Ryder if you can’t relate, nothing else really matters — no matter how much you know.

Teaching is about relationships. To get to the head, you must go through the heart.

As most effective teachers know, students don’t care what you teach if you don’t teach that you care. Trusted relationships help build positive students and better school climate. Little words and little deeds help build strong relationships, make big differences and change lives. Ali and Elijah said I am their favorite teacher and I asked them why- both their responses were that I helped them. Kelvyn in Algebra 2 thanked me for working with him and even asked can I help him the following day.

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Netta N. and Maya Y. taught me that students sometimes have a perfectly legitimate reason for breaking the rules. When I saw them standing in the hallway on their phones during the middle of the period, I started to chide them, but then Netta showed me what was on her phone: a map of Israel with red pins indicating where Iranian missiles had struck. They were trying to process the extent of the attack and find out if their families were OK.

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Teaching is really about the relationships that you build with students. It is especially important for me, because students can often feel discouraged learning difficult concepts in AP Chemistry. I leverage the relationships I work hard to build to get my kids to complete work even when it's difficult. If students are not feeling their best, I ask them to at least do a portion of the differentiated worktime, and they usually do because of the relationship we share. I know that I can push them a little bit even when they're off their game. During one of my lessons this past week, Charlie R was struggling with a particular problem set when I approached her during the worktime. I reminded her that not everything was going to be easy and that all I asked of my students was to try their hardest even if it took the whole worktime to understand one problem. She smiled and agreed to give it another go, and when she succeeded this time, she breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked her for trying and told her the fact that she was willing to work even though she wasn't immediately getting it was huge. I reminded her that she was capable, that a good work ethic was critical to her success. To sum this post up, the students taught me that it's important to meet students where they are, developing positive relationships within your classroom allows you to push your students academically, and it's important to celebrate their little wins with them.

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The students are grateful for us being there as teachers to help them learn. The kids have embraced me in various roles outside of math class. It’s endearing to see them embrace change, accept me in a new role and actually work together to make things happen.

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Relationships are key. Showing a true interest in the students lives, their likes, dislikes, interests and aspirations connects you to them in ways that are different than just teaching your subject area. This doesnt only apply to the students in your class but the community as a whole. I have learned that this teaches empathy and a sense of belonging. I think for me as a teacher I do this without expectation it's just who I am but when you get the same back from the student, where they show interest and caring and concern for you as a person it just gives you a sense of knowing that you are making an impact.

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I find that early on this year my students have taught me the importance of being present. I find that as educators we are often busy with our own schedules. This leads to us not always having time to get to know our students. This week my students have shown me the value of slowing down and building relationships.

These relationships, although new, have helped me to better understand my students needs.

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Bryce taught me that you never know what tiny thing you’ve said or done will work with a student. He usually gets emotional and verbally/physically frustrated when work is too hard. When I gave him space to cool down, he stayed late to finish an exit ticket. It was the opposite of what I was expecting but somehow it worked.

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Janay has taught me that students can really turn things around from year to year and recommit to their learning. Though she wasn't in any of my classes last year, I remember from numerous kid talks on the ninth grade team that attendance and misbehavior were a frequent issue with her. Frankly, based on this reputation I was worried that she might be disruptive in our eighth period World History class this year. However, so far she's barely missed any classes and has put forward a great effort. Working closely with her during worktime, it's clear that Janay has grown a lot emotionally since last year and wants to do better.

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Last year I met Imani, Chelsea, Hannah, and Hannah and despite only teaching one of the Hannahs, I was able to meet and connect to all of them. They taught me last year that you don't know who students were before they came here. I will never forget Imani telling me how before she came to WESS, at her middle school, everyone in her class looked to her for the answers, but here she feels like people look at her like she's stupid. This year getting the opportunity to teach her, I'm really trying to strengthen that relationship and access that feeling again.

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My dance students teach me something new all the time. Many bring their outside knowledge of and experiences with dance into our classroom community and are eager to share what they know with both me and their classmates. They also build on newly acquired skills learned in our class and use their own voice, perspective, and creativity in applying it to choreography. I’m also always learning about new music as students share with me their song ideas for our class playlists.

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This school year, my 12th grade AP Lang students have taught me a profound lesson in resilience and adaptability. In the face of ongoing global challenges and the pressure of college applications, these young adults have shown remarkable emotional maturity.

One particular student stands out. Despite facing personal hardships at home, she consistently brings a positive attitude to class discussions. Her ability to analyze complex texts while relating them to real-world issues has inspired both her peers and myself. Her openness about her struggles and her willingness to support others have fostered a more empathetic classroom environment.

This experience has reminded me that teaching is a two-way street. While I guide my students through rhetorical analysis and persuasive writing, they teach me daily about the importance of emotional intelligence and the power of a supportive community. Their fresh perspectives on social issues have challenged me to continually evolve my teaching methods and stay connected with the changing world they're navigating.

Ultimately, my students have reinforced the idea that education extends far beyond academic content. It's about nurturing well-rounded individuals who can think critically, empathize deeply, and contribute meaningfully to society.

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My 10th grade class has been teaching me patience. My 12th grade class has been challenging me to be prepared every day and to go above and beyond. I've learned a lot from my 12th graders about resilience and commitment. Each day they are challenging themselves in the classroom and it inspires me to do the same in and outside of work.

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A student gave me new insight into 2 characters. I was blown away by her empathy and care when delving into character development.

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Sophia P. has shown me how dynamic young people are by virtue of them growing and changing constantly. She has made so much progress in a relatively short time and she is so ready for whatever comes next. Watching her grow these past two years has taught me that we can't afford to ever place limits someone based on our limited experience with that person. Everyone is on a much longer journey including ourselves and being open to change and growth is what makes all the difference.

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I have learned that when you ask students what their outside interests are, they get excited to share and open up to you. This then translates to a positive more productive behavior from the student in your class. For example, I saw Haruki mimicking throwing a baseball during Health, so after class I asked him if he played… his whole demeanor changed and he was so happy to share how he plays baseball and he began telling me about his travel teams and the Yankees and how he plays when he goes to Japan. We now talk about baseball or Japan occasionally and he really lights up!

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I have learned that first impressions and sometimes even 50th impressions are not the end and that both staff and students can change their feelings. A student that I struggled to understand and connect with has been asking the most insightful questions in AP Psych and it's brought me so much joy! Another student who didn't love me last year because I often had to discipline them in class, now loves being in my class and we are building a wonderful new relationship. Also kids are kids no matter what age so even 18 year olds LOVE stamps and stickers :)

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I learned from my 6th grade student that he plays competitive pickleball and is traveling to another state to compete. I learned that students get more work done when teaching with strong structure as a whole class and less individual work.   

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I learned from my 6th grade student that he plays competitive pickleball and is traveling to another state to compete. I learned that students get more work done when teaching with strong structure as a whole class and less individual work.   

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Sam G. has taught me the importance of never underestimating yourself. In ELA we had individual check-ins with students about their goals, state test scores and what we can do as teachers to help them. During my meeting with Sam G., I notified him of his ELA State Test score from 7th grade. He was shocked and could not believe it; saying that it is not possible and there must have been a mistake with his score. Sam's reaction resonated with me and reinforced that you often know more than you tell yourself and even when you don't believe it, the outcome is usually the same.

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Teaching Spanish to young adult can be frustrating but the same time is rewarding when I see students talking me in Spanish using words, or phrase. It remember when i first come here, The United States, learning language, was challenge because the brain it not always connected to really and teacher has the power to create and environment where students learn and make connection with their life. Zoey, has taught me that the emotional problem make students minds busy and teacher has to approaches with compassion trying to understand students perspectives . Kristina, taught me that students can change even in small piece when the environment has boundaries and also reinforce in good actions.

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Students have shown me they feel as deeply as adults do, they are more curious and creative than many adults, and they notice and appreciate adults giving them the time and space to be kids, ask for advice, and hear great stories.

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This student showed me a new perspective I hadn't seen before: One of my students has been sad lately, and feeling defeated. After talking I found out that she's just so overscheduled (outside of school) that it's stressing her out. When this happens, I always assume it's the parents overdoing it and putting too much pressure on the kid - but from her I learned that sometimes it's totally the child themselves. She is so committed to all of her endeavors (close to becoming a blackbelt, close to an elite ballet level, enjoys afterschool, etc. etc.) that she doesn't want to quit on any of them. This mini-adulting that she is trying to pull off is taking a toll on her - but her parents did not "do it to her"; they're trying to help her choose which to fall back on. We want to expose our kids to everything, which is so awesome - but now she is good at so many things she can't meet the demands of them all, and quitting any of them will make her feel inept. I learned to not assume the pressure is coming from the parents.

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I have learned from my students this year that teenagers will rise to the occasion. If you have high, rigorous expectations for them, they will try hard to meet those expectations. I've learned that many students crave the experience of being pushed to succeed at a high level.

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Lucy taught me that sometimes a student just needs a teacher to check in to clear up any misunderstandings he or she may have. It helps boost their confidence. Diasia taught me that sometimes a one on one talk is all a kid needs to get back on track. Leo taught me that if he is placed in a group with stronger students, he will rise to the challenge.

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I've learned from my 6th Graders that polling and gauging their interest and feedback regarding a project makes them feel special. Using theory of mind to begin to understand their perspective makes them feel heard and validated. Then, they're willing to experiment and rise to the high art standards we have for them!

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One student taught me that even when you really think you’ve tried everything to get through, it’s worth it to keep trying. This student wouldn’t talk or ask questions or try any of her work, but now she will try by asking questions on post it’s. As soon as we found a way for her to be able to ask, she became confortable and started taking academic risks.

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My 11th grade students have taught me to never stop learning and growing. This school year one student has been teaching me how to use a 3D printer and a another group of students are teaching how to use my sewing machine. Everyone has something to share and teach and everyone has something to learn.

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That students will continue to thank you beyond the years you teach them. They usually may not like your teaching strategies or agree with all that you do as a teacher, but down the line, they will reflect, thank, and appreciate you for doing so. Several former students have recently told me "thank you" for what I have taught them, either inside or outside of the classroom. This taught me to do the same and thank those who taught me, while also thanking them for trusting the process of teaching.