The Journey

 

Ms. Claire Kruger

Student Intern

University of South Carolina

Contact Ms. Kruger

cnkruger315@gmail.com

Two years ago, I was completely set on not becoming a teacher. I decided I would complete the Middle Level Education Program at the University of South Carolina and then figure out what I would do next… but it definitely was not going to be teaching. I had fallen victim to the negativity and pressure of entering the education field and could not look past the challenges that clouded my vision of helping shape the minds of young adolescents. I remember sitting in one of my classes during my sophomore year and a professor telling us that we can plan amazing lessons and units now, but when we actually become teachers we will have to follow strict standards and essentially just teach whatever our school or district tells us we have to teach. This broke me down. It made me feel like a robot could do this job and I was better suited for something else.

Flash forward a year to the beginning of my senior year. I was set on just completing this year and motivated by my Bachelor’s Degree at the finish line. I was prepared to enjoy the experience given to me but certainly not prepared to fall back in love with teaching. As soon as I began teaching my own lessons, preparing my materials on my own, and building relationships with the students in the classroom, I was reminded why I originally wanted to become a teacher and had reestablished my passion for this lifestyle. I have had the opportunity to work with two incredible coaching teachers, and didn’t expect to learn as much as I did about teaching, students, education, and myself. I learned to be creative with the standards and build a unit using the standards as a guide, not a script. I learned how to motivate students by allowing them to explore and engage in the real world. I learned that waking up at 6am every morning isn’t really that bad, and a secret stash of chocolate in my desk can get me through practically any challenge or long day.

I have been given incredible opportunities during my internship at Hand Middle School and I’m thankful to every staff member who has welcomed me with open arms and provided me with opportunities to learn and grow throughout this process. The students at this school are a lively and passionate bunch, and I feel lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to learn with them. Someone once told me that being a middle school teacher is not a job, it’s an adventure. I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity to begin my adventure at Hand Middle School and can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!

A Heart Flooded with Gratitude

Lesley Snyder

7th Grade ELA Teacher

Contact Mrs. Snyder

lesley.snyder@richlandone.org

Twitter: MsTeachELA






  

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a planner. I practically breathe because I’ve scheduled it into my overly expensive, color-coded Erin Condren planner. Over-planning isn’t my best quality, I also tend to be stubborn and often put more on my plate than I should. These aren’t my best qualities, a phrase that has taken some time to admit. Thankfully, I had plenty of opportunity to work on these qualities the past few months. The one-in-a-thousand year flood wreaked havoc over our state and drowned all of my well-laid plans. That being said, I’ve never been more grateful for having gone through such a trying situation.

A few weeks before the flood, I was blessed to find out that my husband and I were expecting our first child. Being the planner that I am, I started to make lists, timelines, and deadlines for all of the things we needed to get done. My husband and I went to bed the night before with big plans of working on the soon-to-be nursery the next day. We had spent the evening cleaning, organizing materials, and deciding how we wanted to arrange everything…super romantic Saturday night, I know. Unfortunately, we awoke to chaos. Within thirty minutes, water was pouring into our home from every exterior wall. The floors were lifting up and breaking apart. We scrambled to pick up our pets and anything meaningful that we could. We huddled with our animals in the attic until the water receded in our house a few hours later. When the water cleared, it became evident that everything was ruined. Many of our belongings were littering neighboring yards or floating in the street. It was so much to process at once, and the only thing I felt was numb.

Immediately, the well wishes, prayers, and love poured in. My phone was almost dead, but that didn’t stop the text messages and phone calls. At the time, we truly didn’t know what we needed, but somehow everyone else knew exactly what we needed. The outpouring of hope and love really helped us get through the initial period of shock. Within hours, co-workers, family, and friends were trying to help us wash clothes, make food, and so much else. It was difficult to start accepting so much help at once. Living my life with the “I can do it by myself” attitude sure didn’t help. Thankfully, everyone was persistent and kind with their offers. I am not sure I’ve ever been more thankful for a hug, a pizza, or a box of basic necessities. My students went to Edmodo showering the timeline with posts of encouragement and love. Within days, my house was cleaned out (even this was a blessing). What few possessions we had left were boxed up, and we were left standing in an empty home trying to figure out what to do next. I’m not sure I could have ever planned to be pregnant, carless, and homeless. I wasn’t even sure I was ready to deal with this reality, but with everyone cheering us on, it didn’t seem so daunting. 

Insurance worked slowly, but eventually, they arranged a hotel for my husband and me. Hotels are great to stay in, but only on vacation. Those words taste a little bitter coming out of my mouth. It seems ungrateful to say that I hated living in a hotel, but honesty is an important quality too, right?  Two months in a hotel being sick, pregnant, irritable, and living in a one room space isn’t fun. To be honest, it quickly brought our newly wedded bliss to an end.  We often joked that it would be a miracle if we didn’t get divorced before our home was ready. Though, at times, it didn’t seem like a joke. We had good days, and we had days that seemed worse than the day of the flood.

Many people sought me out and let me vent. They offered their positivity and prayers. They reminded me that they were here for us, and that they were in our corner. For those things, I am truly grateful. I’m not sure those people will ever truly recognize the abundance they gave me with their simple presence and listening ear. You realize when living in a hotel that: cooking is impossible with just a microwave, you must wait to use the restroom (even if you really have to go), it is impossible to catch up on your graduate studies when your husband is watching football loudly, and that you have no idea how expensive washing your clothes at a laundry mat truly is. Even those small annoyances were met with solutions. Those solutions gave me the hope I needed to push through the trials.

Though the two months out of our home drug on, help came in constant, rushing waves.  Somehow, the complete destruction of how I thought my life was supposed to go over the past few months didn’t seem so disastrous with the help of so many. My fellow co-worker, Jeff Burden, probably sums it better than I ever could,

“I am so thankful for all of the support that my family has received through this experience.  My church, my friends, my co-workers, my family, small businesses around Columbia and other people from around America have been so supportive.  Not only have,folks helped me tear out walls and clean my home, but my family has received everything from quilts and food to prayers and money from wonderful helpful people.  We would not have been able to get through this had it not been for the generosity of others.”

I have learned so much about myself and the world in the past few months. Despite seeing negativity constantly on the news, my faith in humanity is truly restored. I learned that it is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE to ask for and accept help (I wasn’t sure I was ever going to learn that). I learned that the best experiences sometimes come out of unplanned, terrible situations. Cynthia Pierce, our registrar, in all of her grace, expressed her gratitude to me after having gone through the flood. She said, “Earl and I have been amazed at the ways God is still blessing us every day.”  I have found that even when everything seems lost, there is still so much value and love that exists in the world. Sometimes we simply have to shuffle through the mud, clean ourselves off, and allow others to help build us back up. This holiday season, I am thankful for a great support system and the opportunity to grow. Now that we are starting to move back into our home, I’m ready to start creating new lists and deadlines in my planner. The first item on the agenda is to send out an abundance of gratitude; then, I’ll get back to planning that nursery. 

From Nothing to Something!

Danielle Odom
8th Grade ELA Teacher
Hand Middle School
Contact Mrs. Odom
danielle.odom@richlandone.org









When I present a problem-based learning project, all I see are wide eyes staring at me with fear, confusion, and anxiety plastered all over their faces. I can see the panic set in as we go over the rubric and requirements for the projects and slowly they begin to unwind. I tell them many times over, “Don’t worry, I will be with you every step of the way, this is a process.” No one ever believes me. They fire question after question trying to determine how big the project is and how long will it take. Their lack of confidence is evident and in a way it saddens me because I want them to believe in themselves as much as I do.

They begin this journey with an empty paper in front of them. They ask questions that I will not answer for them because this is a journey that they have to take. Once they realize that this is THEIR journey, they begin to talk, and debate about what needs to be done and where their project will go. Their questions go from how do I tackle this to how BIG can my project be?!! They begin with nothing but the requirements and the rubric and they create beautiful works of literature and art that amazes me every year.

This year we began AAP with our Utopian project. Students are responsible for building their own Utopias and in the end explaining how their world is better than the world they currently live in. They have to create a government, healthcare, educational system, employment, create a philosophy, address the citizenship of the country, a declaration of independence, economics (importing and exporting goods, money, etc.), and help to sustain life in their communities. It seems like a lot, but they started to tackle it, one step at a time. The thing I love about problem based learning is not only the cross curricular element, but the ability to incorporate new ideas and problems for them to solve along the way. Every Monday we discuss current events and propaganda. We used the propaganda to create posters inviting people to join their Utopias. After the migrant crisis in Syria and Europe, we compared and contrasted three articles from reputable news sites and discussed how our current world is handling the situation. I then gave each Utopian group 16,000 migrants to take into their Utopia. They have to figure out how to feed them, house them, educate them, and fully incorporate them into their world. Students then had to write a newsletter to their community to let them know the plans for the migrants. The problem solving skills of these students floors me sometimes. They had so many ideas on how to help the Syrian’s and yet the leaders of the world are at a loss as to what to do with them. I am wondering if they are smarter than an 8th grader.

My other classes worked tirelessly on Public Service Announcements as we read Tears of a Tiger which deals with some serious young adult issues. They had to research and discuss issues that are not usually talked about in class and create a poster project that shows their understanding of the research. Could they do it? ABSOLUTELY! They too started with a blank page and lots of questions, but when they were done, their creativity shined through. The students put their all into the projects and while many claim “they cannot draw” they are still creative in their own right.

The best part about problem-based learning for all of my classes is that I can incorporate service learning into the curriculum. The best is yet to come. Our goal is to make an impact so big that we break the cycle for so many who have been dealt a poor hand of natural talents.

In the end the students learn how to solve problems and become the true leaders they were meant to be. I am excited to see these projects all the way through, but their growth is what amazes me the most. With every problem-based project they grow more confident and more ready to turn nothing into something.

What A Year!

Robert Harris

Family & Consumer Harris Teacher

Hand Middle School

Contact: robert.harris2@richlandone.org

Follow us on Instagram @hand_facs.

Year One. Where do I start? How do I keep up? Will I make it? All of these questions seemed to cloud my mind as I began my first year as an educator. I was anxious to see what teaching was all about, but more so, what type of impact I would have on my students.

During my internship, I was introduced to Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). FCCLA is a national Career and Technical Student Organization that provides personal growth, leadership development, and career preparation opportunities for students in Family and Consumer Sciences education. While at my internship, I was given the opportunity to work with some of the students in the FCCLA chapter. It was such a rewarding experience; so much that when I got my own classroom, I knew that becoming an adviser would be essential to my FACS program and the overall development of my students. Through the tremendous support of my principal at the time, Mrs. Marisa Vickers, I completed the necessary paperwork to start the chapter at Hand Middle School. We became the first middle level FCCLA chapter in Richland County School District One and one of three in the state.

Immediately, after submitting the charter paperwork for FCCLA, we began to work. Although we were small in numbers (12 charter members) for our inaugural year, we accomplished a lot. Throughout the year, we raised funds through our Krispy Kreme fundraiser, Carolina/Clemson paraphernalia, donated socks to the Oliver Gospel Mission through our "Sock"tober event and donated coats, jackets, gloves, and hats to Goodwill through our Warm Up Drive. Additionally, we participated in the SC FCCLA State Fall Leadership Rally at the SCEA in November in Columbia where members learned more about FCCLA, developed the state's program of work and represented their school. Hand Middle School won the award for the "Best Chant" out of schools attending. 

There was no stopping us! In March, we attended the SC FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Charleston, SC. Six of our members traveled to the state conference where all of them placed (Gold, Silver and Bronze medals) and one became a state officer, holding the position of SC FCCLA Vice President of Middle School Programs. But it wasn't over yet. We traveled to Washington, DC with our gold winners and state officer to attend the National FCCLA Leadership Conference in July. Our winners placed SECOND on the national level, which was an amazing accomplishment for those students and Hand Middle School.

What a year! I am extremely grateful for the support from the students, parents, faculty and staff to make our inaugural year one to remember. We are in our second year and well on our way to another year of success!!

Tied to Success

William Judge

Science Teacher

Hand Middle School

Contact: william.judge@richlandone.org

Standard 8.E.4 of the South Carolina Science Standards suggests that there is an observable universe.  Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is in that universe.  In the Milky Way exists an unfathomable amount of stars.  Our star is the sun.  We live on Earth, which orbits the sun once every 365 days.  Every 24 hours, Earth makes one rotation on its axis at a speed of 1,040 mph.  

The order of the universe continues.  At the start of each period, my 8^th grade gentlemen know to set their materials at their desks and line up outside of my classroom for “the talk.”   This is when I have the opportunity to teach young boys what it takes to be a man.  It’s something that goes beyond academics.  Manliness is about self-respect and the respect of others.  It’s about selflessness and service.  It’s about doing the right thing when no one is looking.  It’s about looking your best, feeling your best, and doing your best.

These young gentlemen have begged me to give them the opportunity to voice “the talk.”  Now, I have the privilege of listening intently to these leaders encourage, challenge, and inspire their classmates and me.  Outside of my classroom, boys are becoming men.  They’ve learned to look a man in the eye, extend their hand, and execute a firm handshake.  They know that presenting a man with a “dead fish” is never an option.  We are currently learning to properly tie neck ties; a skill that every man ought to know and no man will ever forget.   It must fall to center of the belt.  Not too long.  Not too short.   

As the Earth keeps spinning and Hand Middle School becomes a memory, my hope is that “the talks” stick.  I hope that handshakes and neck ties become reminders to my young men of their worth, potential, and success.  My 8^th grade boys are model Hornets who “Love Blue” and “Live Gold.”  They truly are “tied” to success. 

Success to Success

Brian Williams

Assistant Principal

Hand Middle School
Twitter: @brwilliams15

Contact:  brian.williams@richlandone.org

The term “success” is used often times to describe a person who has completed a task or has finished a career or life of vast accomplishments. Success is always seen as a destination that we all want to reach one day. We set short term goals and long term goals, and when we reach those goals, we refer to ourselves as a “success.”  I was challenged to think of a successful life as a journey, and not simply a destination. The idea of a successful life being a journey or a process is an oxymoronic idea in nature. How can one be a success on the way to becoming successful? 

During a recent conversation with a former student, I was enlightened to the reality of what a “success” truly is.  A success, by my definition, is simply doing what you were placed on earth to do! There is a process that leads to that ultimate success, but are you not successful during the journey?  Success equals fulfillment.  Money or fortune fulfills no one completely, but a successful person understands the purpose of their existence.  Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why!” What a remarkable statement! The key to success is knowing exactly what you were created to do and doing it!

Seven years ago when I began my teaching career, I knew that I was fulfilling my purpose and reaching young people in a way that only I could. I felt contentment with my career; I could teach for 30 years and never get tired. There was a joy that accompanied going to work and seeing the eyes of my students light up when we were engaged in the learning process. Over time that feeling changed. I felt as if I was wrong for not feeling the joy and happiness I once felt in the classroom. I came to the realization that when seasons change, a discontentment takes place in our heart and it pushes us to greater things. That discontentment is what moves us from good to great, it is the driving force by which we journey from one season of joy to another. When there is more in us to do, we can’t stay where we are.

I am more than humbled to be a part of the Hand Middle School family. I am learning daily from the comradery and teamwork displayed at Hand Middle. I am exactly where I am supposed to be and I am looking forward to this journey from Success to Success!

A New Year’s Gifts

Helen Schell

ELA Teacher

Hand Middle School

Contact Mrs. Schell at helen.schell@richlandone.org

The first several weeks of school, while often epic and discombobulating for my new-to-Hand sixth grade students, are days that I treasure. There’s electricity in the hallways that follows the students into my room, crackling and snapping from their heels as they locate their seats and smile at their neighbors. In a way, it’s like I am waking up each morning to some grand holiday or my birthday, and the presents I am receiving are the students.  On Monday I unwrap seven or eight, on Tuesday another eleven, on Wednesday six more, until I’ve unwrapped every single child and am left to marvel at his and her talents.  The same is true for my students; they are busy unwrapping one another, finding out about each amazing person who is sitting beside them or is grouped with them for certain activities. There are so many smiles and laughs as we celebrate the new community we are building.

Toward this goal, I recently had my students grouped into “neighborhoods” for an activity in which they wrote answers to four questions and then took their time sharing responses. As a result, my young people learned about each other’s embarrassing moments, favorite technologies, good habits, and kind memories they harbored of former teachers. At the end of class I collected their response cards and took them home to read after dinner. I was transported. Their reflections were both humorous and powerful, and I found myself being especially moved by their memories of former teachers.

In this category, loving acts were recorded that painted a picture of daily life with all its trials and triumphs. One student appreciated a teacher reimbursing him a coin from her purse when the pencil machine ate his quarter. Another received photos at her fifth grade graduation that the teacher had saved since kindergarten. A different student was told to climb the jungle gym knowing he would be caught if he fell. On and on my students wrote: I was taught how to create the art that I love; I was given the job of taking care of the class pets; I was defended when my classmates bullied me for being short; I was seen for being musically talented and encouraged to become a singer; I was given a second chance; I was pulled aside and comforted when I had a really bad day; I was so good at history that my notes were used to create the class study guide; I was called smart; I was given a tie-dye shirt made by my classmates when I moved to SC; I was understood and forgiven.

When I set the cards down I felt humbled, humbled that they would share these treasures with me and humbled by the role of teacher. In the twenty-first century, data plays a starring role in a teacher’s life. August is when we analyze data on end-of-year testing to get a snapshot of our incoming students. This allows us to shore up a class’s strengths and weaknesses and set goals for the year ahead. Each one of us wants to build on the strong foundation laid by previous teachers and propel our students into new realms of thought and comprehension. We are intimately aware that our efforts feed future successes in high school, college, the job market, and our students’ waiting adult lives. But for just a moment I want to push all of those expectations and numeric data aside and simply inhale the sweet fragrance of my students’ heart-felt note cards. I want to sit still and absorb the gift that each child is. And if there is one prayer on my lips, it is that I, too, will come to hold a sacred spot in their hearts.