Building a Better Teacher | Brian Smith | TEDxHickory

The most I struggle when I struggle with them is because there is an area of ​​need within me that I have to discover. and that's what my kids have taught me over the years: you're fighting with me because I'm pointing out something that maybe isn't as strong in you and when I build that, we get that relationship and we connect and and they meet my expectations. at that time, so when we encounter obstacles, that's why we have to look at the obstacles and find the way around them and figure out okay, maybe it's not them, maybe it's me, how do I approach this in a way different and when?

I walked into the classroom and tackled something different than what I had learned. Great things would happen because I identified the problem and said this is how I can solve it, so I want to get moving again for a minute. I had Jalen. in 2nd 3rd and 4th grade and then I had it in 5th grade. When he was in fifth grade, he contracted lymphoma and had to undergo many treatments in the hospital. When I was coming home, I needed a

teacher

and that is called home confinement, so I went and told him that I am your homebound

teacher

, please don't accept requests as if it were me.

I need to do this like Jalen, make Jalen my student. I would prefer to do this two, three days a week, however much he could manage, I would go to his house after school and we would work in his basement and we would work on reading and catching up and talking and writing and I remember one day I asked him to write an essay like these are the three things I want to be when I grow up. and he was in fifth grade and the first one on his list that his little planning sheet said a waiter at Outback and I thought, oh, that's interesting, I said he kept me more about number one and he said, well, I know that Outback It's your favorite restaurant. and if I'm a waiter there, that means I can still see you.

I don't deserve that I failed Jalen in second grade. I didn't teach him to read now, I finally did, but I didn't when I met him. him like Jalen made me a

better

human being and then he tells me that so at the end of his fifth grade they gave me this picture of us at field day in a frame and it's still on my shelf and I got a Very nice gift card to Outback so I keep up with Jalen and today seven years ago Jalen passed away from cancer but it wasn't before the world because it changed me and then I went into the hospital.

I was able to be a

better

teacher for all my children in the future so thank you