Starfish: Making A
Difference
Starfish Poem
Once
upon a time there was a wise man
who
used to go to the ocean to do his
writing.
He had a habit of walking on the
beach
before he began his work.
One
day he was walking along the shore.
As
he looked down the beach, he saw a
human
figure moving like a dancer. He
smiled
to himself to think of someone
who
would dance to the day.
So
he began to walk faster to catch up.
As
he got closer, he saw that it was a
young
man and the young man wasn't
dancing,
but instead he was reaching
down
to the shore, picking up something
and
very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As
he got closer he called out, "Good
morning!
What are you doing?"
The
young man paused, looked up and replied,
"Throwing
starfish in the ocean."
"I
guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The
sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll
die."
"But,
young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and
starfish all along it. You can't possibly
make a difference!"
The
young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish
and threw it
into the ocean, past the breaking waves and said
–
"It made a difference for that one."
1
Knowledge is amazing;
it may open doors to infinite possibilities, Òbut
education is a higher word; it implies an action upon our mental nature, and
the formation of a character; it is something individual and permanent.Ó2 My passion for learning developed due to my family upbringing. Reading
and enjoying knowledge were strongly emphasized in my childhood and my brother
and I were lucky enough to have a mother able to dedicate her valuable time to
making a wholesome experience for us as children.
Her emphasis on the importance of
school generated dreams of eventually becoming a professor of English
literature, so that I could pass my passion to the next generation and inspire
new minds. At the same time, I may continue to enrich my own learning process
by staying in the college setting. Although this is my ultimate goal, I have a
few stops to make along the way. I want to make a difference in the lives of
children so that they will also become driven to succeed in life and in school.
Hundreds of children in classrooms today have lacked an upbringing that
emphasized the importance of education or are unconsciously left behind by busy
teachers with demanding schedules. Times are changing and there is a call for
leadership to make a difference, one child at a time.
It was only two
years ago that professor Lopez performed the anonymous ÒStarfish PoemÓ in front
of our timid class of teacher recruits.
ÒFind that student, the one who sits apart from the rest or with the
signs of frustration, despair, or rebellion,Ó he challenged, Òthen lead them to
success, no matter how small the steps are.Ó His call to leadership through
mentoring and impacting the lives of individual students has remained with me
to this day and has inspired me to make sure that other teachers realize the importance
of small successes. Teaching is a demanding career and, tragically, several
students in each class are often overlooked despite their potential
capabilities to flourish. In most cases, these students are the ones who need
the most help and attention as they tend to be the ones with special needs and
undiagnosed learning disabilities. With my passion for education and learning,
I want to lead others in the fight to make an impact in struggling studentsÕ
lives, because making the effort to connect with just one ÒstarfishÓ student
can make all the difference.
With Professor
LopezÕs motto in mind, I began my teaching experience in an underprivileged
public school, Linder Elementary, with an all-Spanish speaking second-grade
class. The class was packed with thirty children with more than twenty of them
not at a proper second-grade level. These children had slipped on through to
the second-grade without the required level of teaching and many could not
perform their daily lessons. I realized that picking just one student would be
difficult when so many need that extra guidance. However, I discovered one
student sitting apart from the cluster of tables who would stare off in space
as the teacher called out assignments to finish. The teacher had actually pushed
his table to a wall to separate him from the other students. He 
looked lost and would turn in a sheet of
paper with his half-attempted work and some crayon rendition of whatever
daydream dominated his mind that day. Instead of receiving special instruction
or guidance, he was placed near the wall facing away from the rest of the
students, without a hope in the world. It was difficult to contain my
frustration and I realized that no matter how exasperating it would get, I
would make some sort of positive impact on both my new ÒstarfishÓ student and
the teacher.
My leadership role
began that day as I sat down next to him and saw his little dark brown eyes
light up. Someone had finally taken an interest. I began by introducing myself
with my best Spanish and then explained the assignment with a positive energy
so that he would be motivated to try and attempt his work. With that simple
introduction and display of interest in him, he began his task and asked me
questions to make sure he was doing it correctly. This little progress was
amazing and gratifying and made me look forward to my weekly visits in the
class. I realized that I
would need to reach out to him 
as
an individual, as empathetic leaders Òare able to attune to a wide range of
emotional signals, letting them sense the felt, but unspoken, emotions in a
person or group.Ó3 Progress was slow, but together we learned that he
was in fact quite capable at the second-grade level. He simply needed brief
explanations for instructions and subtle eye contact or nudges to remind him to
focus. One major lesson we learned was the importance of asking questions when
he did not understand what was expected of him instead of giving up in the fear
of embarrassment. In less than one month, my student began to answer questions
with a wagging and energetic hand in the air, much to the surprise of the
teacher. His empty papers began to fill with correct work and good grades and
he was moved to the center of the class surrounded by new peers. In addition,
he channeled his creative energy into his drawings for assignments instead of
in absent-minded doodles (most of the time.) By first identifying the student
as a child with feelings and opinions, I was able to make a connection with him
that enabled me to lead him to a better education and, hopefully, a greater
future. With a concise explanation of his abilities and special needs the
teacher could finally see the studentÕs abilities instead focusing only on his
disabilities. I realize now that in sharing this information, although
intimidating, I was becoming a leader much like those Òwho are adept at cultivating peopleÕs abilitiesÓ by
expressing Òa genuine interest in
those they are helping along, understanding their goals, strengths, and
weaknesses.Ó 4
My
next disarming teaching experience took place in a sixth-grade class at Metz
Elementary. I was enrolled to be a mentor for a student who struggled with
severe attention deficit disorder. Once again, the teacher ignored the
situation instead of facing it head on which left this young boy behind and
incredibly frustrated. Motivating
this student was a great challenge as he felt like school was a tedious
obligation and nothing was interesting. I learned through mentoring him that
teachers need to be reminded to
teach their material Òin its most complete and most
winning form, pouring it forth
with the zeal of enthusiasm, and lighting up his own love of it in the breasts
of his hearersÓ or students like this would fail to see the point of learning. 5 After dealing with his ADD and anxious
outbursts, we began to create a pattern of work. He knew what level of work was
expected from him as I eventually realized he was ahead of the peers in his
grade level. He was performing poorly due to his ADD and the fact that he was incredibly
bored with the material taught. He was ready for the next grade level work. It
is possible that if he had been put into a grade or class more on his level of
intelligence, he would not have experienced such intense feelings of boredom
and frustration. He was yet another student overlooked in the school system
that focuses on mass grades and overall class test scores. The emphasis on
treating students like individuals cannot be stressed enough, as John Henry
Newman once wrote, ÒLet units [individuals] come first, and (so-called)
universals second; let universals minister to units, not units be sacrificed to
universals.Ó 6 The individual needs of
students in the educational field with a focus on personal growth needs to be
addressed in teaching. Once he understood that I regarded him as an individual
with respect and understanding for his learning needs, he began to open up and
put greater energy into his work. In addition, the hour breaks of mentoring
provided him with a change of scenery and activity that helped calm his ADD
tendencies.
After
witnessing what impact a little attention and mentoring can give, I have had a
relentless desire to take action. There are too many teachers slipping back to
their old routines upon losing their initial motivation. Teaching is a tough
career and the average
teacher quits after five years.
Those who decide to stick with it need to remember Òthat men may rise on stepping-stones of their dead
selves to higher things.Ó 7 This
quote may remind them of how passionate teaching may be with a renewed energy
and spirit. I would like to create
a program, ÒStarfish,Ó that includes the teachers, students, and mentors in
informal and refreshing reminders of the importance of education and of
connecting with each other at the human level. This group will be beneficial to
both students and teachers. Due to the high stress level of maintaining a
classroom of approximately thirty hyperactive children, teachers may need to be
reminded of their own passions that they began with so eagerly. They may also
need to develop the leadership qualities that recognize that Òto burn always
with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life.Ó8 Their renewed energy in teaching may
possibly revive their passions for their subject matter and for their role in
cultivating studentsÕ minds to Òapprehend and contemplate truth.Ó9 If this is the case, then students like
those I have encountered may have a better chance at getting the proper
attention and mentoring needed rather than being tucked away to minimize
disturbances or stress.
Starfish
will recruit mentors both from the community and from universities who have
students in need of fieldwork or volunteer hours. The College of Education and
Alternative Teaching Certification programs will be encouraged to participate
in the program, as it would create a great working experience and an
eye-catching resume addition. These students and volunteers will agree on their
donated time each week and will be assigned to one student designated by the
teachers and counselors on campus to mentor and meet with both in-class and in
after-school study programs. Volunteers and
mentors will have a quick meeting
with their studentÕs teacher once a week to fill the teacher in on any
progress, concerns, or advice, in hopes that they may discover helpful
suggestions for the teacher. This new mentor and teacher teamwork may also help
teachers identify specific learning disabilities and help them direct their
students to proper counseling and request a resource teacher to come into the
classroom and aid in the learning acquisition. It will serve as a learning
experience for all the members as they will work as a team. The teachers
involved in Starfish will have access to motivational programs and workshops on
campus that will supply helpful psychological findings on learning disorders
and special needs as well as luncheons focused on reviving teacherÕs spirits.
There will be an overall emphasis on leadership and the idea that Ònot
to discriminate every moment some passionate attitude in those about us, and in
the very brilliancy of their gifts some tragic dividing on their ways, is, on
this short day of frost and sun, to sleep before evening.Ó10 Human spirit will be revived and
education may once again start fresh.
My
passion for education goes beyond the acquisition of knowledge, as I now see
that it involves the human mind and spirit as the center of my focus. I am a
leader who moves quietly amongst the individuals in the group, who hopes for the
personal success of all those involved in the journey to improvement, and who
fights to keep the passion of knowledge and life alive in myself and in others
along the way. I may still desire to become a professor but I will always
remember what Walter Pater wrote, Òsome spend this interval in listlessness,
some in high passion, the wisest, at least among Ôthe children of the world,Õ
in art and song.Ó11 I will maintain the
sense of the mystery and wonder in life and I will try to help guarantee that
others will have the same chance because little efforts can make a grand
difference.
Total Word count: 2082 (This
number does not include the words omitted nor does it
include
quotations.)
Words Added: 354
Words Omitted: 26
Word Count of Quotations: 221