"Flowers and Children":A Reflective Classroom Teacher 15

Shared thoughts of Dr. Jane Ziebarth/Bovill
I retreated to my parent’s farm and my mother’s garden for most of that first summer away from teaching. I was determined to become an effective teacher. I needed time to collect my thoughts and to contemplate the vast amount of educational research that I had purchased to read during my twelve-week hiatus away from school.
I have always found a peace in gardening that I cannot duplicate with any other setting. My fondest memories have been of the times I spent in my mother's garden. It was there that I learned of the wonders of nature and the knowledge necessary to nurture that sea of color and fragrance. The application of that knowledge to my classroom has made me a much more effective teacher. My journey to becoming an effective teacher began during my first summer away from teaching and continues to this day. It all started with one simple admonishment from my mother while we worked side by side tending to her flowers.
We were pulling weeds. A never ending task, that if left undone, would result in the flowers being overrun for lack of space, moisture and nourishment Flowers desperately needed this care if they were going to bloom and flourish.
“ That is not a weed, can't you tell the difference?” I stared down at the handful of greenery and began to weep. The uncharacteristic admonishment by my mother opened the flood gates. The simple act of weeding a garden was just another thing that I could not do correctly. Noticing my tears, my mother softened her voice and stressed the necessity of knowing what you were pulling out of the ground and what it was you were allowing to grow. " If you aren't sure Jane, just ask."
In that instant, that flower garden became my classroom. My mother became my mentor and those flowers with their individual uniqueness became my students. For those of you who read this it might seem rather simplistic and naive. Well. I was.
I had been reared on a steady diet of being fair; that all people were the same and should be treated as equals. I had never learned to discern between being treated equally and being treated fairly. To me, the two words were synonymous. When I entered the classroom and attempted to treat all the children the same, I was not an effective teacher. Too proud and embarrassed by my perceived failure, I sought answers to my dissonance by consulting only with myself. Self-reflection should have told me to seek the answers to my dilemma from my more experienced professionals; but pride would not allow me. I refused to reach out for help. In my mind, that would have been an admission of failure. The results were; I was not effective as a teacher and I spent nine months full of self-doubt and pain.
I had always known that some flowers need more care than others do. Some flowers did not do well together. Some needed more sun, some less water. There were flowers that were bent by the elements and needed extra support until they could flourish on their own and flourish. A flower garden, in order for it to reach its full potential, must have a plan for its growth.
Seed cannot be thrown out hap-hazardely. Even in nature, wild flowers thrive under the right conditions. Flowers will dry up and wither when, they are not nourished by sun, rain and rich soil. They must be allowed to take root. A flower garden must be tended in a proper fashion.
So must children. It took a few wise words from my mother to allow me to see this connection. Long before there was Gardner’s Theory of MI, there was “nature smart.” Or, mother nature smart.
Some flowers are difficult if not impossible. You will devote more time to them. Perhaps this is not fair to the other flowers but being fair, is giving each flower what it needs to reach its potential. Some flowers do not need as much care as others. An effective teacher never treats students the same but he or she is always fair.
Roses have always been a favorite of mine. They are so beautiful so easy for me to care for because they give me such pleasure. I have to fight the temptation to spend all of my time on them for fear the other flowers in the garden would wither and die or feel neglected.
When I returned to my classes that second year several things needed to be implemented. First, I found a mentor. This person taught me much, but mostly she taught me how to do a better job of identifying the different needs of all of my students. Secondly, I learned to modify my curriculum to meet those needs. Third, I started to believe in myself by realizing that I did not need to be perfect and that it was alright not to know everything about my profession. I sought to be good at what I did, rather than seek perfection, in myself and in others.
This new attitude did not manifest itself over-night. Effective teaching is a process that has no end. I am a better teacher today than I was yesterday and because I reflect on my interaction with my students at the end of each school day. I start with those things that were successful and take pride in what I accomplished. I reflect on those activities that I used that I did not consider to be as effective and either modify them or discard them all together. I congratulate myself for being a true professional and for having the courage and the wisdom to change. I grade my papers, prepare the room for tomorrow and feel contentment for a job well done. I do the very best I can.