Good Teaching: Lessons Beyond the Classroom|Southern Education Desk|5-31-2012

And the students take full advantage of the assignments: seventh-grade students take in Amy Weems’ lecture with rapt attention.

Lousiana Middle School of the Year Candidate, Amy Weems

Weems is a home living instructor at Ouachita Junior High, as well as the school technologist. She is in competition with seven others for Louisiana middle school teacher of the year.

 

Her students say that their teacher makes the most of every class. But the value of Weems’ lessons is not confined to the classroom.

 

Twelve-year-old Morgan Adams explains.

 

“She’s taught us just put others first instead of yourself. And I’ll be using that a lot.”

 

Adams says that in Weems’ class, that often means public service.  

 

“Well, we helped out with the ‘Shelby’s Wish;’ Shelby was my best friend and she passed away when I was 8 years old. And when she was in the hospital, she asked if they had a play room. And they said no, and she said, well you need one. And so her mom just took that and it stuck with her. And her mom has built three playrooms in hospitals. We went and helped clean the play room and we gave them more toys.”  

 

For Amy Weems, showing kids what lies beyond institutional learning is of vital importance.

 

“I am truly committed to teaching kids what they need to know to be successful in life after they leave here.”

 

Weems says there is no set schematic for guiding students.

 

“I have to really strategize about how to help every kid in my class to reach their full potential, whether they’re a college-bound kid that’s going on a college tour, like our nation honor society students, or whether they’re a kid who’s going to be happy to get a GED and go to technical school and do something great in that career.”

 

Giving students that kind of attention squares with what many education experts say goes into great teaching. Dorothy Schween, The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s education department head for curriculum and instruction, explains. 

 

“Contrary to our state’s emphasis on accountability scores being the biggest, the best indicator of good teaching, I’m not sure that I necessarily agree with that in its entirely because there are some softer skills that go into making a great teacher. And if you talk to students, many times what they will tell you is ‘my teacher really cares about me and what I learn.’”

 

Schween’s view gains traction when one considers the way seventh-grader Morgan Adams’ time in Amy Weems’ class has translated into personal goals.

 

“I will be involved in the community more often because I’ve learned how it’s helped other kids and people in our community.”

 

 

Still, Weems takes a multi-pronged approach to teaching that expands beyond the three R’s and public life; there is an important individual component to her lesson plans.

 

“I teach home living and it’s a very personal class. You talk about personal things, unlike an English class or a science class. Everything that we teach relates to a child’s life. But I think the key for me is to be personal with my students; to be honest with them, to be open with them about things that have happened in life that they could benefit from.”

 

That means that communication is critical.

 

“It’s not just about bell to bell, what you do. It’s about talking with them between classes, as they come in the door, you look those kids in the eye as they pass by you and you say, ‘hmm, what’s going on today?’ You speak to every child or try to when you can, and that’s when you pick up on what’s going on.”  

 

But continued evolution for her as a teacher does not end with well-cultivated interpersonal skills. Weems says that a commitment to lifelong learning is a crucial component to the process. To that end, she completed her PhD in educational leadership in December.