Tag Archives: mentorship

Dear Randall

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Randall,

Sometimes, a secret to life presents itself over a sticky menu at a hamburger joint.

“Do you want sweet potato fries or regular fries?” the heavily-tattooed waiter asked patiently, as my mom puzzled over her choice.

“Um… Sweet potato! No, I think I want regular… Oh, I don’t know!” she sighed in exasperation.

The waiter’s beard curled into a smile, as he said six words that have become a Jackson family motto:

“Don’t fake who you really are.”

Suddenly mom’s choice was easy. In the end, she didn’t really want fancy fries; she wanted regular, salty, delicious French fries. She realized she was tempted to order sweet potato fries because they were trendy.

Most of the time we are faced with decisions that are more complicated than what type of side to order with our hamburgers. But the wise words of our waiter still ring true. If you know who you are, you can make decisions that you are proud of and that you won’t regret.

It’s a new year. You have a blank slate and a fresh start. Beginning today, you get to decide what you will be known for.

Who are you, really?

Are you the kid who storms out of class when he doesn’t get his way? Or is that how you fake who you really are, as you try to cover the pain of burying your brother a month before his fifteenth birthday?

Will you chose to continue to act like you don’t care about failing grades and daily phone calls to mom? Or will you be the young man I’ve seen glimpses of – the brilliant, kind and courageous Randall?

I have believed in you long before you believed in you. And I’m not finished holding on to hope. On this first day back to school, I want to challenge you to be the best version of yourself.

Who will you be? What will you do? What will people remember about you?

No one can choose for you, but you are not alone. I’m here to support and encourage you into becoming the man you and I both know that you can be.

From sweet potatoes to salty French fries, whether it’s a little decision or a big one, don’t fake who you really are, and don’t forget that I believe in you.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Tyrek

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Tyrek,

I saw a young man just a few years older than you on the news last night. According to the judge at his trial, this man made a series of devastating and cruel decisions. The jury has decided he should lose his life for the crimes he committed.

This young man awaiting his fate on death row has your same first and last name.

When the story started on the news, I heard your name and gasped. The thought that any of my students could be on the news in such a capacity horrified me.

I want to open up the newspaper and see your name on the A/B honor roll and a photo of you sinking the game-winning basket against Lariat Prep next week. Stay on the straight path, and make us proud. Unstructured time can open up tempting possibilities. Please be safe and smart during your last week of winter break.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Miguel

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Miguel,

I’ve watched you silently absorb into Shaun, Keenan and Davian’s group. You never seem to instigate trouble, but you are often caught with the consequences of following that crowd.

Please be careful over winter break.

Life is a series of choices, and if you continue to passively follow others down this often dangerous path, you could find yourself in serious trouble.

What strikes me as different about you is the way you respond to consequences. Today, when all four of you were placed in detention instead of the Christmas party, you were the only one who did not argue, complain or shut down. You accepted your situation, as if you knew that your actions earned the consequence for skipping math class on the last day of school before break. That tells me you do know the difference between right and wrong.

It’s time for you to step up. Stand your ground on issues you don’t want to be a part of. Be strong enough to walk away and refuse to be part of the crowd that makes dangerous decisions over the break.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Marques

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Marques,

Nothing but courage stands in the way of passing your midterm. You know the material. When I pose a question in class, your hand shoots up in the air, and that jolly grin I’ve come to know and love stretches across your face.

But I watch as a paper test is set in front of you – the same questions, multiple choice answers – and your confidence fades. Your test average in my class is a 42. If I could grade you on oral answers during my lesson, you would have an A average.

We’ve been working on strategies to deconstruct the test. You have the tools you need. All that’s left is for you to believe in yourself.

Breathe. Read the question. Cover up the answer choices. Write a response in your own words in the margins. Search the text for evidence to prove your answer. Then look at the multiple-choice options to pick the best of what they have provided.

Breathe again. You are smarter than the test. I believe in you! I need you to believe in you so that you can show yourself, your parents and your community how brilliant you are.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Tiana

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Tiana,

You have matured from a reckless little girl into a fearless young woman. Channeling the same strength and passion that used to get you in trouble, you now act as a leader in the classroom and on the basketball court.

You are truly a remarkable woman and a joy to teach. I will be at your game this weekend, cheering you and the team on to victory.

With the incredible strides you are making athletically and academically, don’t let a strained relationship with LaKeysha take you back down the path you were once on. You are too smart, strong and sensible to let a little girl drama derail your progress this year.

LaKeysha is working through her own issues. I need you to stay in your lane. We only have one week of school until winter break. Your grades are improving, but we still have work to do. I would love to recommend that you stay on the basketball team, but I need to continue to see excellent character from you – in class, the hallway and during electives.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Candice

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Candice,

As you sit down to eat lunch by yourself again today, I want you to know that you’re not actually alone.

When I was in 7th grade, I felt like an outcast too. For the first several weeks of school, I sat at a lunch table surrounded only by the frizzy hair shielding my flushed, embarrassed cheeks. I wore off-brand jeans and dorky t-shirts, and I participated in all the “geeky” activities. Apparently no one wanted to sit with the shy, weird girl.

One day, I scoured my fourth period science class for a friendly face, and I finally asked a girl named Joanna if I could sit with her at lunch. Shockingly, she said yes, and I started eating at her table every day. By the end of the year, I was still wearing similar clothes and fixing my hair in the same way, but I was much more confident, and I had a few friends.

I want you to know that life gets better. There are peaks and valleys, and middle school is certainly a low point for most of us.

Over the next few years, you will learn that you don’t need to change yourself to make friends. You’ll grow into who you are, and you will find friends who are equally weird, wonderful, smart and fun.

You won’t eat lunch alone forever. In fact, you don’t have to sit by yourself again, if you don’t want to. Look up. Smile. Watch for a new friend in class.You might just surprise yourself with how many people would love to have you sit at their table tomorrow.

You are not as alone as you feel right now.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Terrance

Posted on by under education, humor, photography

education, photography, humor

Dear Terrance,

I adore your sense of humor and spunk, but there is a time and a place to be serious and sincere as well. Today was one of those times.

“I will not teach liars and thieves! Get out!” the voice reverberated down the hallway to my classroom.

Mr. Bain’s door opened and closed rather loudly, and I was concerned. It was my planning period, so I walked into the hallway and noticed you standing outside of his room. Your upper lip, left cheek and uniform shirt were covered in a white powder.

“Did Mr. Bain ask you to leave the classroom?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s try that again.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Why did he ask you to leave?”

You smiled, shuffled your feet and looked down at your shoelaces. A moment later, Mr. Bain opened his classroom door and dropped your binder on the floor. “He cannot come back into my classroom for at least a week!”

You shuffled your feet again.

“Terrance, did you take something from Mr. Bain?”

I walked across the hall and picked up your binder.

“Yeah – uh – I mean, yes. I did. I – ” you giggled slightly and looked up at me with that twinkle in your eyes, “I knewd he had a pack of those donuts he always eatin’. Those white, powdery donuts in that little package. He had one of those in the top drawer in his desk, so I just took ‘em.”

We sat down on the floor in my classroom.

“You just took them?”

“Well… I mean, I ate them. I had to ate them real fast because I was scared he was gonna turn around and catch me behind his desk, so I kinda got that powdery stuff everywhere.”

Handing you a paper towel to clean your face and shirt, I said, “ Terrance, you and I both know that it’s wrong to take food that doesn’t belong to you. Are you hungry? Did you eat breakfast this morning?”

“Naw Miss, I ate breakfast,” I just (giggle, giggle, giggle), “I just wanted to see his face when he knewd his snack was gone!”

I had you stay in my room for the remainder of that class period to learn a lesson about trustworthiness by picking up trash off the floor and cleaning out the student desks.

Just when I thought we were clear about the difference between times to be funny and occasions to be sincere, your classmates filed in my room for English Language Arts. I noticed that you stayed on task and finished your work before class ended, so I gave you the early-finisher activity: Write a card to a family member or teacher for Thanksgiving.

Yours said, “Dear Mr. Bain…”

education, photography, humor

While admittedly hilarious, this is not a heartfelt apology. For homework tonight, you will write a straightforward and sincere apology to Mr. Bain. Save the jokes for your standup routine, and save me a ticket. Let’s pass the sixth grade first, though, and then we can talk about your future plans for your comedy hour on television.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Jasmeka

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Jasmeka,

So, you want to be a teacher when you grow up?

Why do you want to be a teacher?

A. I want a job that is rewarding and fulfilling.

B. I want to help people.

C. I want to make a lot of money.

D. I love children and want to make a difference in their lives.

If you chose answer C, you’re correct. I joke, I joke!

A. I want a job that is rewarding and fulfilling. Here’s the truth about being a teacher. It doesn’t always feel rewarding and fulfilling. In fact, most days it’s exhausting and frustrating. I cry more than I cheer.

B. I want to help people. While this sounds noble, I’ve realized that the most powerful thing I can do is to teach my students how to help themselves. Teachers whose main motivation is to help or fix other people end up thinking that they are superheroes. When I look around my classroom, I know without a doubt that the true heroes are the 11 and 12 year olds who are persevering with their academic and character development every day.

C. I want to make a lot of money. I’m hilarious, right? Tip – humor is key as a teacher. If you can’t laugh off the small things, you’ll probably become very, very grumpy.

D. I love children and want to make a difference in their lives. I learned quickly that my love and patience are limited. I have had to constantly remind myself that love is a choice, not an emotion. I want the very best for each and every child in my classroom, so even when I feel frustrated, I still choose to not give up on any of you. And then I have to ask myself, what does it mean to make a difference in someone’s life? Is that self-serving too? Am I teaching because I want to be remembered? Or am I teaching to give a child an opportunity she would not have had in a different classroom?

Let’s try this as an open-ended question: Why do you want to be a teacher?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Here’s my answer as an example:

I teach because I believe that every child can and will achieve on an absolute scale when given access to quality education and the support he or she needs to be successful. I believe that every life matters, kindness counts, and hard work and self-advocacy are essential life skills to be successful in school and in a career. I teach to open doors of possibility for students to walk confidently through on their own two feet.

Jasmeka, you have the strength and compassion inside you to be an excellent teacher one day. Ground yourself in the reasons why you want to teach so that when frustrating days happen, you stay steady for yourself and your students.

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson

Dear Irma

Posted on by under education, photography

education, photography

Dear Irma,

Thank you for helping me set up my classroom before school this morning. I enjoyed our conversation and am honored that you consider me a big sister.

I have an idea! Would you like to start staying after school with me on Wednesdays to talk about the changes that are going on at home? I know we didn’t have a lot of time this morning to talk about your parents’ divorce, and I want to make sure you have a safe place to process the important things that are going on in your life outside of school.

I am so thankful that you are in my class this year. You are such a joy to teach. Looking forward to Wednesday, “little sis!”

All my love,

-Ms. Jackson