most rewarding benefits of my job are the wonderful things that they share with me through
their work and through class discussions.
Sometimes my educational philosophy brings me into conflict with other teachers. A
teacher barged into my classroom with a student from my homeroom class. She was trying
to embarrass him by yelling at him in front of my class. She had thrown him off a field trip
and asked the kids in my class if anyone wanted to buy his ticket for the trip. When she left, I
took him outside and asked what happened. He told me that he fooled around in her class
because he could not understand the work. She did not explain it very well to the class. They
just copied notes off of the board while she yelled and screamed. Field trips are fundamental
to learning, especially for the students that I had in my classes. I believed his story and de-
cided to fight to get him back on the trip. I was sick of this teacher verbally abusing kids.
When I evaluate my work as a teacher, I always ask myself, “Am I bored?” If I am, chances
are that my students are bored as well. To keep my middle school classes interesting, my stu-
dents are assigned many individual and group projects, and I am always amazed by what they
create. I am also using portfolio assessment with some of my classes to keep the kids moti-
vated. It is important for students to reflect on their progress throughout the year.
***I Was Called “Spic”by Lynda Costello-Herrera
Lynda Costello-Herrera grew up in an affluent, White suburb. She was raised and identifies as an
Italian American, although her biological father was Puerto Rican. After student teaching as part
of a masters degree program, she was hired by a suburban junior high school that is more than
90% African American and Caribbean. She is glad she was given the opportunity to teach in the
school where she teaches and is quick to challenge people who she feels are demeaning her stu-
dents because of their racial and ethnic backgrounds.—Alan Singer
I made the decision to work with minority students because I felt that minority students
were at a disadvantage. Many Americans are racist on some level and view people from mi-
nority groups as inferior. I want to help minority students realize that they can accomplish
anything that they set their minds to achieve.
My experience as a child definitely shapes my goals as a teacher. I grew up having stu-
dents calling me “spic.” The worst part about these incidents was that teachers overheard
what was said but never reprimanded the students or pointed out why it was wrong. I want
to protect students so they never feel the way that I did growing up.
I believe that the most important element in my teaching is not ideology or method but
being who I am. I am successful as a teacher because I respect my students, and, in turn they
respect me. My behavior toward them is key. They are just children. That is how I look at
them, not as people who are members of this or that category.
That does not mean I ignore the racial and ethnic backgrounds of my students. I do not
put any students down, but I do try to bring them back into reality. They sometimes forget
how society might perceive them. I help them understand they must rise above and chal-
lenge these stereotypes.
When I say I teach in this district, people always ask, “How is it teaching there?” This reac-
tion is extremely disturbing to me because it means that the person is insulting my students.
I always respond by asking them, “Is that a racist statement?” This sends the person into a
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