After teaching for over 16 years at Beekman, it's nice to take a moment to reflect on all the amazing years and think of the highs as well as the lows. Earlier this quarter, the teachers got an opportunity to do a vlog entry on student success stories. One that stood out in my mind was of a former student, Emma, who was in my Algebra 2 class about 11 years ago.
When she first came to Beekman, Emma seemed introverted, quiet and shy, but being in a school with under 100 students, and in a class with only three other students, does have its advantages. We are able to work together on the material at the student's pace, answer any questions they might have along the way, and really get to know and connect with them on a personal level.
Having this opportunity made it easy for Emma to feel safe and she began to open up to the students in the class and the teachers at the school. She started to be more engaged with the other students in the class and showed signs of actually enjoying learning the material! I really feel as though Emma had the opportunity to find and be herself at Beekman, and also discover her passions, which were in writing and Psychology. The time she spent here helped her develop and nurture her love for writing and she went on to become an accomplished writer with works published in magazine and journals, and one of her poems was even shortlisted for a literary award.
The story doesn't end there. After finishing college, Emma came full circle and started teaching here at Beekman. It is wonderful to see a student embrace our school and its philosophy, flourish and grow, and come back on the other side of the desk as a teacher.
The nice thing about student success stories is that they also are the teacher's and the school’s success story. As teachers, we are constantly learning from our students and every experience, be it good or bad, funny or sad, can be an opportunity to improve and be better!