The Teachers That Know They Can

*thumbs in belt loops* Heeeeey, y'all!

So back in February, I had a guest speaker that the kids know as "Mr. Awesome Eric". LOL!  Well, while he was in the middle of talking about goals, success, and dreams in kid-friendly terms, he quoted this poem:

The Man Who Thinks He Can

By Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a person’s will-
It’s all in a state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

The kids were amazed.  They applauded right then and there, and he wasn't even through talking to them yet!

Months later, in May, the kids were playing games because, well, it was after standardized testing, there was maybe a week and a half of school left and.........welp....... they deserved the free time! (Dear administrators: Don't freak out! Respectfully, Jenn) Haahaa! 

During one of the games, B hollered "I'm gonna win, cuz I'm a man that thinks he can.  Remember Mr. Awesome Eric said it?" My teacher senses tingled.  After he did, indeed, win the game, I asked him to come over and recorded him reading the poem.  MY GOSH!!!! This child hates to read with a passion, but he jumped at the chance to read "Mr. Awesome Eric's Poem."

I got inspired.

Let's see if I can "remix" the poem in teacher-friendly terms:

The Teachers Who Know They Can

If you think you can't teach, you can't.
Take down your bulletin boards and leave.
There's no sense in making your classroom great
If you don't think our kids can achieve.

If you think they're too stupid, that's a shame
That falsehood contains nothing true
The kids WILL learn, but the worst part is,
They'll learn it all without YOU.

Classroom difficulties are likened to war,
We're in the trenches each day--
Fighting to be certain that our kids can solve
Each problem that comes their way.

State testing is a painstaking must
If you think they'll get harder, they will
Non-teachers are holed up in boardrooms NOW
Passing even MORE education bills

But fellow teachers, bow not your heads
Fight the good fight again
For every morning brings learning anew--
THIS IS A FIGHT WE'LL WIN!

Determination is what's needed
In your schools, please take a stand.
For there's NOTHING that is MORE POWERFUL
Than the teachers that KNOW they CAN.


Do you believe that you can TEACH again for 2012-2013? Yes? Then come on; we're in this together. :-)

*waves*

~~Ms. Jenn