Going Against the Grain

So I know that we are supposed to blog about something we learned from our pre-conference work BUT I feel there is something glaringly important that has actually come up in a few discussions I've had while here: our relationship with our students.

Content changes. Teaching techniques change. Common Core. Standard's-based grading. WELPA. NWEA. I could go on and on with initiatives different states adapt and "un"-adapt but one thing remains the same: we love these kids!

As you all know, I have zero training in Journalism, Yearbook, or anything remotely close to either. Google senses me now and probably automatically gets ready for my "Journalism Curriculum" search or my "cool yearbook ideas" quest. Even though I only have 2 years of our print newspaper and 1 year of yearbook under my belt, I consider both a success. Can we improve? BIG TIME! Is there a lot I need to change? UMMM YEAH! Do my students deserve bigger and better? YUP. However, it's been a success because we did it together. My students now how much I love them and I know how much (most) love me. We're tight--a team. That's why we've been a success. And may I add, that for zero experience, we produced a pretty RAD paper and yearbook for beginners?

I have a lot of angry kids at my school. Their parents are in jail or in Mexico because INS came to their house and yanked their parents from them, sending them back to Mexico. I have rape victims. Gang members. Abuse victims. You name it, we've got it. How do I get through to these kids who have suffered so much? It's simple: I love them. I talk to them and ask about them and help them when I can. They come to me for advice. I hug them when they cry and laugh at them when they're being stupid. Ha! Man--this sounds like such a cliché but great clichés are made from truth.

The point of all of this is: they work their scrawny little butts off because they know I'm invested in them--and this pushes them to invest in me and my class. They know that they have to do their assignments and work their beats and they know that after every Editor reads their story and they finally submit it to me, I'll make them fix it 5 more times. They also know that I'll probably text them ad ask them to do something additional like write another story or help another reporter. They complaiiiiiiiin and then they do it.

To me, relationships are the most important ingredient to a successful... well, a successful ANYTHING! I know I'm not telling you guy anything you don't already know but I still had to say it.

Calah Kulm
Warden High School
Warden, WA