I remember my favorite teachers in high school. They weren't all young or trendy (though some were), but they all had a passion for what they did. Some teachers integrated personal stories into their lessons, some were so enraptured by their subject that I couldn't help but find it fascinating myself, and some were simply genuinely joyful to see me walk into their classrooms. These are the teachers who made the acne-ridden, brace-faced, flip phone years more bearable. These were the teachers who influence the trajectory of my life. As a new school year approaches, I want you (my students) to know one thing: success is not vertical. Success is never an uninterrupted, upward trend. If it were, your favorite rollercoasters would take you up through the atmosphere into space, and people would be living in penthouses on the 3000th floor. Success in my classroom, much like rollercoasters and skyscrapers, is a combination of ups and downs, and has perfectly acceptable stopping points. In my classroom, success looks like struggle. At some point in life we come to believe that successful people don't struggle, and that since we do struggle, we must not be a truly successful person. That's a lie. The only time a breakthrough can happen, in writing, on a project, in a relationship, is when we are honest with the struggle. Writing is hard. Working with classmates can be difficult. The only way to succeed is not to pretend like the difficulties don't exist, but to lean into them and make them a part of the process. I don't believe the sentiment that a team is only as strong as its weakest player. Rather, a team is only as strong as the players willing to step up and help those who struggle. Success looks like teamwork. In a classroom of 20-30 people, working together is the only way we succeed. Sometimes, teamwork looks like simply giving someone feedback on a draft. Other times, it's carrying your weight on a group project. For me as the teacher it means being a member of the team, cheering you on and offering support wherever possible. I don't believe the sentiment that a team is only as strong as its weakest player. Rather, a team is only as strong as the players willing to step up and help those who struggle. Finally, success looks like putting forth effort no matter what comes your way. Maybe you've been hit by the brick wall of writers block. Maybe your classmates can't stop talking about the weekend while you're trying to finish a first draft. Maybe, just maybe, the idea you were SO excited about for your project totally fell apart. At this point in my classroom you have a decision to make: admit defeat and settle for mediocrity, or rise above and keep moving forward. Either path is available to you each and every day. I can't promise you that the right choice is the easy choice, but I can promise that it is always worth it, and I'll be with you every step of they way. I can't wait for a great year together. Mr. Satchwill BHS English
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Schools like to stay nonpolitical. For most schools an abstention from anything relatively political is their attempt to be welcoming to all. Support all by affirming none. That doesn't work when students enter our halls day after day bringing unique backgrounds, languages, incomes and family dynamics with them. We have to be able to reach all of them, and ignoring politics is just a way to blind us to the needs of our student body. As most of us have seen this weekend, students from a Kentucky high school, Covington Catholic, engaged in the harassment of peaceful Native American demonstrators. The video of the incident caused many to compare these students to black and white photos from the 1950s of similar incidents against young African Americans fighting for equality. The comparison is jarring and begs us to ask, rightfully so, who is teaching these young people to behave like this? Leaving politics at the door, though it may seem like the right decision, can no longer be the approach taken by public or private institutions of education. Here's why: matters of morality, right vs. wrong, empathy, and kindness have all but left our current political climate. Our students are experiencing and sometimes engaging in a political scene that is completely lacking in basic human decency. I do not buy into the "both sides" rhetoric, but each individual must constantly remind him or herself that the person on the other side of the room, the screen, or the public demonstration is human. These students from Covington Catholic clearly have not learned this lesson. Now, this is not a critique on the teachers, or even the school. None of us know how these students were taught to treat others. I would like to believe, based on the nature of the institution, that these students were shown God's love and how they might spread it to their neighbors, no matter their differences. However, knowing the sad reality of what is taught in many holy places, and being a victim of that myself, I understand that sometimes assumptions replace teachable moments. It is much easier to assume that someone would never behave this way than to engage in a conversation about why one should never behave as such. I believe that had you asked any of the teachers at Covington Catholic last week, none of them would have imagined the type of behavior demonstrated by their students this weekend. And now, though we all want to see change happen, the conversation is coming too late. Those students were rocketed into the national (and global) news cycle, torn apart by thousands of social media accounts who stared at their screens incredulous to what they were seeing (myself included). Those students were probably never shown how to display empathy, how to treat others who look different than them, or to appreciate and interact with cultures and faith systems that could possibly challenge their own. These students, then, might not have been taught to behave this way, but were also not shown the right way to behave. I did not write this piece to defend these students. They made conscious decisions to stare into the face of the demonstrators, and the nation stared back in utter disbelief and shock. I'm writing this to critique the current lack of citizenship and decency that is taught in homes and in schools across our country. It is our reality that basic human decency has been politicized. If schools want to succeed in bringing up the next generation as strong, generous, empathetic and passionate young people, we must understand that politics can no longer be stripped from the curriculum. Politics in the classroom does not have to be a teacher spouting his or her views, or a heated debate amongst peers. Instead, politics can be a simple discussion on how to treat others and what it looks like to appreciate someone who is different than you. If we are not bold in our attempt to sew seeds of positivity and kindness into the future, then we have no idea what product that will yield in the coming years. And by the time this generation comes to fruition, our influence will be long gone. Paul Satchwill @paulsatchwill [email protected] I'm not going to lie. My introduction to teaching went about as well as a young bird not quite ready to leave the nest. Let's just say it was painful and I hit the ground pretty hard. In spite of that, the support and professional environment at BCSC quickly gave me wings to reach new heights in my professional journey. This year, specifically this semester, I truly feel like I've hit my stride. My classes are great, I've found my flow and classroom management techniques that work for me, and I finally feel like I can breath. So where to next? IMPROVEMENT One of my goals this semester is to improve upon what I've already created. I'm going through every presentation, every lesson, and asking myself: "how can this be better?" It's time consuming, but it's also rewarding. I feel professionally accomplished and students notice. Just last week a student remarked, "I love how much time you put into this lesson," which is something I never thought I'd hear. It was so cool! PERSONAL WELL-BEING I'm taking better care of myself. My mom always said that she stays fit so that she could keep up with her kids, and now her grandkids. I have the same mentality with my students: stay active, stay healthy (mentally and physically), and I'm so much more capable to be there for them. I've often heard the mantra "if I'm bored, they're bored." This is so true, and applies to the energy in the room, too. "If I'm on it, they're (more likely to be) on it." CONTINUED EDUCATION Finally, this year I want to learn more about the subject I teach. I want to dig deeper into Mythology, find more creative ways to write, and I'll be damned if I don't find more ways to make To Kill a Mockingbird fun. The more I master my subject, the better I get at teaching it. It's that simple. So, yes. I think I've hit my stride. Maybe that's my ego talking, and maybe I'll feel differently next week. But for now, I know what's next. Do you? Hey parents and guardians! First off, thank you for coming to this post! I understand that making it to open house can be difficult, and if your child is older I’m sure it may feel unnecessary. However, there are a few things I really want to share with you, so I thought I'd put it all in one easy-to-access place. We have had an AWESOME start to the school year. I am so excited to get to know the students in my room, including yours! I put a lot of time into the first three days of school because I believe that they are so important in forming relationships and creating a positive learning environment. In this post you'll find my beginning of the year speech, how I approach a democratic classroom, and what your student can expect to learn in their class. Here we go! beginning of the year speechThis year I wanted to start the semester right. I knew that I needed to convey to my students that they matter, and that their voices are heard in my classroom. I wrote them a speech that I hope inspires them and shows them just how important they are in my classroom, and in the world. Check it out below. DEMOCRATIC CLASSROOMAt the beginning of each school year I like to model what is called a Democratic Classroom. This activity asks students and the teacher to ponder three questions: what defines an effective teacher? What defines an effective student? What defines a successful classroom? Your students had some awesome feedback, and the discussion was so full of energy. I believe this is truly the best way to start the year, by laying out expectations, past experiences, and future hopes, and examining how those work in our learning environment. This allows students to be open with me about what works for them, what they need from me, and also for me to share what I need from them. Below are three word clouds that highlight their feedback, with the most commonly used words being the biggest. what we'll be learningEach of my classes is broken down into a series of units. I believe that this gives each class more of a defined focus as we approach the content day to day. Check out what your student can expect to learn in class this semester! Finally, listen to my new podcast!The first episode of my new podcast, BIG MOOD, comes out THIS Thursday! You can subscribe and listen on any podcast platform, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The goal of this podcast is to amplify the voices of the next generation, hear their opinions on current events, and learn what it is that gives them hope for the future. I have SO much faith in these kids, and you should too! Click here to listen! Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to a great year with you and your students.
@paulsatchwill [email protected] "When your parents or guardian ask you what you did today, tell them that your teacher made you a promise." Check out my back to school welcome to my students! My hope is that this inspires them and shows them just how important they are in my classroom, and in the world. Okay, hi. Summer is over, but listen. LISTEN. We all deserved two months off of school to do nothing but complain about the heat and binge watch The Office. I get it- I was right there with you. But it’s time to get back to business. It’s time to go back to school. I just have this feeling. I have a feeling that something big is about to happen. Entering into my fourth year of teaching, I feel equipped now more than ever to challenge you guys. I’m ready to return to Maycomb County with English 10, I feel prepared to take the drama club sets to the next level, and you better BET I’m ready to talk about about Hercules and Greek masculinity. The only thing I’m not ready for is my 6am alarm (rip) and keke references. *ugh*. Being realistic, I know that this semester you will walk into my English class complaining about the reading or the project that you barely finished. I get it, I’ve been there, that’s valid. But I also need you to know that in my classroom, it’s about so much more than that. Your grades are important to me, but your personal growth and establishment of self are much higher on my priority list. To the students I know and to those I don’t, you are the most valuable asset on the planet. That’s not hyperbole; I’m serious. Nothing is more valuable than your emerging voices in our societal landscape. Your vision is untainted. Your dreams untethered. Your access to information unprecedented, and your skills to access it are unmatched. I have so much faith in you to use this power for good. But it’s not always easy. You guys have an incredibly difficult world to navigate. I can’t imagine the journey that each and every day is for you. I have seen glimpses of the battles you fight hour after hour, and I acknowledge the problems you face that no generation has faced before you. Unfortunately this is a world that can beat you down so easily, and without a support system, it’s easy to get lost. I’m saying all of this because I want to be a part of your journey through life. I want to carry some of the weight that feels too heavy to bear. Give me the task of helping you process this immense and confusing time in your life. The last thing I want is to see any of you fail, in every sense of the word. So heading into this school year, where quite possibly everything in your life could change, here’s some advice:
The youth will win. The kids will save us all. YOU will save us all. Are you ready? Let me know how I can be there for you. Let's make this year awesome. xo, Mr. Satchwill @paulsatchwill |
Authorhigh school english teacher | drama director | writer | Google Certified Educator | advocate Archives
January 2019
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