Best day at school...

I've have been a substitute teacher many times the last six years but yesterday was the most rewarding day I've ever had. This past week I've subbed for the health teacher. (His wife had a healthy baby girl so he took the week off.) 

Sweet, tiny baby Madilyn

Leading up to yesterday, the lesson plans included a discussion and worksheet on different kinds of mental illness. I was surprised how much the students knew about mental illness. I gave them a chance to talk about the ones they were familiar with. Unfortunately I didn't know that a new student in the class suffers from depression and has suicidal thoughts. Alana came up to me while they were filling out a worksheet and told me she was having a hard time. I asked what was going on, and she told about the depression and suicidal thoughts. I felt terrible and sent her to talk to the counselor. She came back soon after and seemed fine. I later found out she has an IEP (Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a plan that can help students with learning disabilities and other challenges succeed in school). The IEP specifically stated not to have Alana in the classroom if there were discussions related to depression.

That's Alana, she comes in early, and she always reads before the other students arrive.

The second part of the lesson plans included learning about celebrities that had challenges in their life, how they overcame them, and something that can be learned from their experiences. We finished all that so the next class period I had nothing for them to do. I came up with my own follow up plan! I asked them to write down three people they admire then choose one person, and write three qualities that they admire in that person. Then I asked them to underline the qualities they think they already have and circle the qualities that they would like to develop to a greater degree. When they finished I asked if anyone wanted to share who they admired and why. This is the part that made it the best day at school. I was overwhelmed with the responses, some of them brought tears to my eyes. The responses included moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas, friends, and even a favorite cousin. They shared many great qualities about each one. The girl who has depression said she admires her mom the most. She said her mom also suffers from depression but she works hard to take care of the family. She said she knows how much her mom loves her. Another girl said she also admires her mom. Her dad died a few years ago from lung cancer. She said her mom takes care of everything, and is positive. She has also gone back to school. I could feel how much she loves her mom.

Then several students shared the quality they wanted to develop, the most common quality was patience. One student said he wanted to be funny. He made sure everyone knew that didn't mean to make fun of others, but to make others laugh and spread joy! One boy named Owen is autistic or has ADHD, I can't remember. He said he wanted to be stable and in control of his emotions. I thought it was admirable that he shared what he was feeling to a group of his peers. Thankfully everyone was respectful.

This is the worksheet that I came up with. I have said before that I don't want to be a teacher, but I know I could have been. I'm a good substitute teacher and that's enough.

Name_____________________________________________Date________________Period_______

 

Who Do you Admire?

STEP 1: Write down three people you admire and respect (not a famous person) but a family member, friend, or teacher.


1. __________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

STEP 2: Write three characteristics or qualities you like most about that person. (Use the list of possible qualities to inspire ideas)

1. __________________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________________

STEP 3: From the quality list, underline the qualities you feel you already have. Then circle the qualities you would like to develop to a greater degree.

STEP 4: Choose one quality you would like to develop, and write down one small action, or step you could take to develop that quality more in yourself.
1. Quality__________________________________________________________________
2. One small step__________________________________________________________

Good Qualities

honest
daring
powerful
inspiring
intelligent
insightful
creative
incredibly funny
smart
athletic
dynamic
adventurous
analytical
imaginative
classy
optimistic
charming
assertive
passionate
fun
hardworking
compassionate
kind
generous
practical
motivating
integrity
reliable
innovative
brave
insightful
poetic
seriously tough
intuitive
questioning
energetic leader
sympathetic
protective
sensitive
trusting
independent
courteous
thoughtful
skilled
adaptable spirit
devoted
competitive
patient
driven
persistent

talented
calm
stable
courageous
confident
loving 

friendly