Opinion
Teaching Profession Opinion

Teaching Secrets: Get Back in Touch With Your Inner Student

By Heather Wolpert-Gawron — March 23, 2011 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

In the following adapted excerpt from my new book ‘Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers, I examine the importance of honestly reintroducing yourself to who you were as a student. In the spirit of true transparency, the unabridged chapter includes an unabashed list of my own memories of who I was as a tween. In this excerpt, I ask that teacher readers do the same reflection based on the current grade level in which they teach.

In Mary Poppins, the children outgrow the ability to speak the language of the birds. In Peter Pan, the children outgrow the ability to fly to Neverland. And when many teachers reach adulthood, they tend to forget what really preoccupies a child’s brain. But just think, if you could have access to a child’s thoughts, wouldn’t it give you some greater ability to teach that child better? Well, you do. By accessing your own memories you can reintroduce yourself to a student’s priorities, thoughts, and reactions. Because while times, they have a’changed, and students today might sometimes feel like they’re from an alien planet, the fact is that kids are a very recognizable species from generation to generation.

Reflect back to your own days in school—to your friends, your enemies, the times you were the most embarrassed, the times you were the most ashamed, and the times you were the most proud.

As a teacher of middle schoolers, I think back all the time to who I was in 7th and 8th grade.

I think back on my mistakes and my accomplishments, such as they were.
I think back on my biggest zit and my smallest bra.
I think back on the boys I liked and the girls I didn’t.
I think back on seeing my first joint being passed at a party.
I think back on the first time I heard Prince’s “When Doves Cry.”

Unpacking my memories, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the academics of school life did not rank too highly. Sure, I can remember an essay I was proud of or an answer I was praised for, but those memories did not have the impact of, say, my first trip to the mall sans parents.

In fact, if I’m really honest with myself, I have to admit that what I teach and my methods of teaching it could very easily conflict with what’s really important to a tween if I’m not aware of what really drives their train. I have to remind myself that if I’m not careful, and if I don’t very purposefully tap into what tweens naturally love, then my efforts may not rank as high as I would like them to on my students’ own mythic memory lists one day, just as they did not rank highly on my own list when I was their age.

We’re Better Teachers When We “Remember When”

I believe the strongest teachers are those who remember who they were as students. It’s a way to relate to those kids in your classroom that remind you of yourself long ago. It’s also a way to challenge yourself to relate to those who are least like you were, and forgive the discrepancies that come with those poor decisions that can result from just being young. There’s ample evidence that, during your school years, you’re programmed to make mistakes and do things you regret. But many of us as adults have blocked the memories out so entirely that we become less forgiving of students making those same mistakes. Looking back at who you were helps put in perspective those students that you have now and their inevitable stumbles.

Try developing your own list of memories sometime. Need help jarring your recall? I’ve developed a list of questions to help. See if you can answer these. By remembering what had the greatest impact on you when you were a student, I’m convinced you can become a better teacher.

Who Were You In School?

To help you in your own education reflection, here are some questions to get those brain juices going. Think about the grade you currently teach, and then look at the questions to reintroduce your current self to your past self.

1. Did you have a nickname?
2. What were the names of your 5 closest friends? Did you even have friends?
3. How did you choose to spend your lunch or recess?
4. What music were you listening to?
5. Did you play a sport?
6. Were you involved in an after-school activity?
7. At what age did you see alcohol or drugs for the first time?
8. What was the name of the person or persons that you liked more than as a friend?
9. What did you gossip about?
10. Had you ever passed notes in class?
11. Did you have a favorite teacher? What was his or her name? Why was that person your favorite?
12. Were you in a clique?
13. Were you a bully? A protector? A victim? A bystander?
14. How did you get to school?
15. What movies came out during that year?
16. Do you still own anything that you made at school during this particular grade?
17. Do you still have any friends that you’ve had since that year?
18. Did you have a favorite expression during this time?
19. Did you ever do something during those years that makes you wince?
20. Is there a direct line between who you were then and who you are now, or are there only faint traces of that student in the person you’ve become?

Remember, who we were as students may contribute to the people we are now, but it isn’t set in stone. Keep in mind that all kids of all ages are fully in the throes of a developmental process that guarantees they will make mistakes and bad decisions. A teacher, a great teacher, helps them learn from their missteps, shake off the guilt of having made them, and moves them ever closer to being the person they have the potential to be.

Related Tags:

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession The State of Teaching 'You Don't Know Teacher Tired': Educators Sound Off on Misconceptions
Hear what teachers featured in EdWeek's The State of Teaching Project say makes their jobs more difficult.
Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
Montinique Monroe for Education Week
Teaching Profession Opinion Why I’m Happy Being ‘Just a Teacher’
Not every teacher is an aspiring administrator. That’s a good thing.
Amanda Myers
3 min read
Abstract vector illustration depicting the process of teaching and learning.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Teaching Profession What the Research Says Do Teachers Really Earn More After Leaving the Classroom? Not Necessarily
Nearly a decade after leaving a big urban district, many teachers have yet to recoup income, a study finds.
4 min read
Illustration of woman and steps made of cash.
Getty
Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Here's What Keeps Teachers on the Job
Hear why these teachers stay in the job, despite its challenges and lower pay.
Fourth graders do a warm up dance at the beginning of Helen Chan's math class at South Loop Elementary School on November 15, 2023, in Chicago.
Fourth graders do a warm-up dance at the beginning of Helen Chan's math class at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago.
Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week