Building strong relationships with her students and watching them soar higher and farther than they ever imagined are two of the most rewarding experiences to Sally Kilby in her profession as a 3rd-grade teacher. Now teaching at Will Rogers Elementary, Kilby joined Putnam City schools in 2004 after serving as an educator in another school district for seven years and staying home to raise her own children for 10 years. Below she explains why My favorite part of teaching 3rd grade is helping students to begin to realize their potential. Third-graders have a lot of energy and excitement about the things they will learn in 3rd grade. It’s very rewarding when they begin to see that they can be more and go higher and farther than they ever imagined. This is very exciting for the students when they see what they are capable of doing. Each child’s potential will be different, but the cause for celebration is the s
ame.
When a student struggles in an area it is important to build his or her confidence. When a child is given extra time and support, small steps of improvement will be possible which will lead to opportunities for encouragement. Also, notifying parents of an area of concern is important.
There are many ways parents can help their students experience success in the classroom. Parents should talk with their children regularly to see how they are feeling about school. Children’s attitudes and feelings can have a tremendous impact on their success. When parents listen to their children read, help them with homework and work with them on math facts, they are doing more than helping with academics. Students’ self-esteem and confidence will increase, which will lead to greater success.
When you respect your students and they know you truly care, this can be the positive influence that can change a child’s life. I had the privilege of working with one particular student two years in a row who had issues in his life that interfered with his learning. Building a relationship was very much needed. There are many ways to go about this, but for him I needed to let him know I was interested in his life outside of school as well. Going to ballgames was not always the most convenient way of showing I cared, but it was the most meaningful and rewarding. You know you’ve made a difference when a child tells you, "I don’t know what I’ll do next year without you."
Children are successful when they’ve done their best, when they feel good about what they’ve accomplished and when they know what they do is important.
Teaching is truly an honor and privilege. What I look forward to most is the joy that will come as I open my heart, dig deep and give my all to be the teacher that my students deserve.