Teacher:Student Ratio?

Every year on the first day of school I tell my students the following:

"There is a 1:35 ratio in this classroom. There is one teacher, and 35 students. That means that everyday, for the hour or so we are together, you will get 1/35th of my attention. That's about the size of my pinky finger (I pretend to give them my pinky finger). At the end of the day, when you go home, all you will have to show for the amount of attention you received from your teachers today will be six pinky fingers. Not very much by my count. However, for every hour or so we are together everyday, I get 35 students. Multiply that times six classes, and it's about 210 people. So I get 210 people to teach me everyday. When we finish, you will teach me far more than I will teach you. I win the 1:35 ratio."

I don't think most teachers ever think of their relationships with their students like this. But it's true. Teachers win the 1:35 ratio, or 1:20 ratio if you are so unlucky. Everyday we are blessed with the insights, the passions, the lessons of our students. Some teachers get stuck in the mindset that it is all about the teacher in the classroom. But it's all about the students, and that is very good for the teacher. Although we may influence our students in some ways, it is their influence of us that will grow us as people, and challenge us to improve.

Take Philip for example. Philip was the stinky kid. He had bad skin, bad clothes, and an odd hair cut. Most students treated him poorly because they couldn't understand why he looked, or smelled the way he did. But I could tell that there was more to Philip than was obvious. Philip understood the importance of high school, and his presence in class. He knew that he must graduate high school if he was going to be successful in life, and he was fully committed to doing so. However, Philip's circumstances were committed to his failure. Philip missed many days in class. When I asked him what was up, he explained that he couldn't always catch the city bus, and that there was no one at home to give him a ride to school. I pressed about his parents, and Philip explained that his mom was gone and his dad was a junky. The reason Philip looked and dressed the way he did, was that he alone was not only responsible for taking care of his own clothing, food, and transportation, he was also responsible for his dad. When the police came knocking on the door, Philip would have to distract them while his dad slipped out the back. Philip and I would talk between classes and during lunch. I did what I could to encourage him and boost his confidence. I didn't need to elaborate much, since Philip was already very bright and very committed to success. Unfortunately, because of Philip's sporadic attendance, he was transfered to a continuation school. For the short time we had together I taught him a little about computers, and gave him an "atta boy" when he needed it.

That's what teachers do. We give "atta boys" when we are inspired to do so, and go on with our days. We give selflessly day after day, week after week. And it's exhausting. I can only imagine that medical and rescue service people give more of themselves than teachers. It's easy to get discouraged when we don't know if what we do makes any difference in the lives of our students. We cannot measure just how much we influence the lives of our kids. But we can measure how much they influence us.

I was right in the middle of one of the worst weeks I had experienced all year. I hate the end of school anyway. I start missing the students before they even begin to leave. I am cursed because I laughed at my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Heskith (misspelled), the first male teacher I ever had, and the first one I ever saw cry when we left on the last day of school. On top of that I was in the process of packing all my stuff in boxes to move out so that my classroom could be remodeled over the summer. I was in a sour mood when Philip came walking back through my door. I hadn't see Philip for a couple of years. Philip explained that he was scheduled to graduate in a week. He had fulfilled all of the graduation requirements, got a job at a pizza place, and had moved into a place with some friends. I congratulated Philip and told him I knew he could do it, or some odd thing. But Philip wanted me to know that he felt I was partially responsible for his success. Well, my sour attitude evaporated and I felt inspired all over again.

Students should inspire us to keep teaching, and we should welcome the inspiration. If we don't, we run the risk of becoming stale. It happens to the best teachers. They stop connecting with students (a subject for another post) and begin to disappear in their own classrooms. It is important for us to always remember to reflect on what our students bring to our lives. Too many teachers get caught up in the "sit down, shut up, and take notes," attitude toward their students. Sure, it may be easier to manage, but once you shut yourself off from the kids, they will shut down. If that happens, you're classroom will become a barren and ugly landscape of disinterest and apathy. But if you continue to appreciate what your kids do for you, how they enrich your life, then you will never lack inspiration to teach, or a desire to give of yourself. Whatever you give, will be returned to you times 35 each hour.