Dear Kaitlin
Dear Kaitlin,
I know you are SO excited to finally get out into the real teaching world and teach Spanish. I know that you want to teach Spanish to help build connections and community between cultures and languages. I know that you felt successful in Spanish classes and LOVED all of the games and activities you played to memorize the many vocabulary words and verb conjugations. I know you still have songs and chants memorized and can’t wait to teach those same things to your students.
...but what if I told you that they way you were taught isn’t equitable for all students. You don’t even understand what equity is. I get it. You grew up in a community of people who looked and lived almost exactly like you - in a privileged community. What if I told you that many of the students you work with will not grow up in a household that supports their education? What if I told you that the way you learned Spanish won’t work for many kids and it actually sets them up for failure and a dislike of the language? That it doesn’t even actually test their ability to communicate in Spanish? Did you ever wonder why the upper level and AP classes had so few students? Why didn’t you realize sooner that the way languages were taught catered to students who were predestined to be successful in “school”? Why didn’t you make the connection between how you learned to speak English (your first language) and how students should learn second or third languages?
What if I told you that after 5 years of teaching Spanish the way you were taught, you’d go home at night hating your job and tearing yourself apart wondering how something you loved so much could quickly turn into something you hate? What if I told you that you would question your career choice after so STRONGLY believing it was what God was calling you to? What if I told you that after just finishing paying off your student loan debt you would consider going back into debt to get another degree in another field because you couldn’t stand the thought of teaching one more year? What if I told you there’s a better way? That you don’t have to hate your job? That you can love your job, inspire students and help build a community of safety, trust, and love in your classroom? Would you spend 5 years doing it the way you learned and were comfortable with knowing that it would lead you to misery or would you dive into the deep end and take a chance on a better way? (Take the chance… you’ll love your job more than you ever have before and find the the fire in your soul you never knew existed.)
Now you know better. You must do better. There is no other option. We need to do better for ourselves and better for our students. You are brave. You are courageous. You deserve to enjoy what you’ve chosen to do with your life. Your students deserve to enjoy learning about the beautiful community and culture that you love so much.
No. Turning. Back.
xoxo,
Kaitlin
I know you are SO excited to finally get out into the real teaching world and teach Spanish. I know that you want to teach Spanish to help build connections and community between cultures and languages. I know that you felt successful in Spanish classes and LOVED all of the games and activities you played to memorize the many vocabulary words and verb conjugations. I know you still have songs and chants memorized and can’t wait to teach those same things to your students.
...but what if I told you that they way you were taught isn’t equitable for all students. You don’t even understand what equity is. I get it. You grew up in a community of people who looked and lived almost exactly like you - in a privileged community. What if I told you that many of the students you work with will not grow up in a household that supports their education? What if I told you that the way you learned Spanish won’t work for many kids and it actually sets them up for failure and a dislike of the language? That it doesn’t even actually test their ability to communicate in Spanish? Did you ever wonder why the upper level and AP classes had so few students? Why didn’t you realize sooner that the way languages were taught catered to students who were predestined to be successful in “school”? Why didn’t you make the connection between how you learned to speak English (your first language) and how students should learn second or third languages?
What if I told you that after 5 years of teaching Spanish the way you were taught, you’d go home at night hating your job and tearing yourself apart wondering how something you loved so much could quickly turn into something you hate? What if I told you that you would question your career choice after so STRONGLY believing it was what God was calling you to? What if I told you that after just finishing paying off your student loan debt you would consider going back into debt to get another degree in another field because you couldn’t stand the thought of teaching one more year? What if I told you there’s a better way? That you don’t have to hate your job? That you can love your job, inspire students and help build a community of safety, trust, and love in your classroom? Would you spend 5 years doing it the way you learned and were comfortable with knowing that it would lead you to misery or would you dive into the deep end and take a chance on a better way? (Take the chance… you’ll love your job more than you ever have before and find the the fire in your soul you never knew existed.)
Now you know better. You must do better. There is no other option. We need to do better for ourselves and better for our students. You are brave. You are courageous. You deserve to enjoy what you’ve chosen to do with your life. Your students deserve to enjoy learning about the beautiful community and culture that you love so much.
No. Turning. Back.
xoxo,
Kaitlin
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