Do you believe in me?

Hey everybody, I’m feeling happy today. After many ups and downs, I finally heard some encouraging feedback. For the last few days, my B-Day classes (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) have been running very smoothly. Today, a few students asked me, “Mr. K, why can’t you stay here until June to teach us (until the completion of the session)?” Although I had heard similar comments during my introduction, they were mostly out of curiosity or inquiry. However, I sensed an increased level of trust and acceptance in their voices, which is something every first-year American teacher strives for. I apologize for their unawareness of this program, but I’m pleased they are starting to believe in me. I am committed to upholding the governing principles of New Tech High School: Trust, Respect, and Responsibility. I need to solidify these positive emotions and ensure that this impression lasts. The A-day classes are another area where I still need to achieve this goal. I really should develop a Plan B or C to help bring my students into a serious learning mindset. There are a lot of tasks ahead of me. I’ve noticed how different my feelings are as a teacher here compared to my experience in India. I didn’t have to worry about trust and respect from my students back home, as many Indian teachers enjoy that naturally. To be honest, I used to believe that my main job was to impress the top students and challenge their talents, while ensuring that no one failed in the class, often not addressing the average student with a specific strategy. I applied the same teaching methods for years. However, my experience in America has taught me the importance of varying my strategies according to the different learning abilities of my students and addressing their diverse needs. This video addresses many current issues in education today, particularly in America, such as the dropout crisis, lack of self-confidence among students, decreased focus in education, and teachers’ attitudes. I’ve shared this with a few friends, but I believe everyone involved in education should listen to the powerful message from Dalton Sharman, a dropout student.