Stories Teachers Share

I went on "Stories Teachers Share" which is a podcast website that focuses on the stories teachers have to share. The story I looked at was of Alexa Schlechter. She shared how she often feels stressed by her job because her students expect a lot of her, and she's scared to let them down. This story takes place in her Creative Writing class; this class has a mixed crowd meaning some students are there because they want to learn creative writing and others are there because they want to get the English credit over with so they can graduate. At the end of the semester, Alexa asks her students to write a memoir so they can be remembered as someone glorious! It is then she tells us about the student who always gets her work done, and never causes any trouble. This student comes forward with a story of how she has been cutting herself for six years hoping someone will notice, but no one did. After this, she felt invisible and attempted suicide two times. Alexa asked the student if she had said any of this to her family or friends, and the student said that she was the first one to ask. Alexa made sure the student got the help she needed, and now the student has graduated high school and still keeps in touch with her teacher. Alexa discusses how she cannot keep this event a secret and depends on her best friend as she tells the story of her student.

Teachers often can't find enough time for each student, even though every student deserves their full attention. This is why it's important for teachers to have a friend who understands what they are going through. Allison Smith, Alexa Schilchter's best friend, discusses how she's glad that Alexa shares these things with her about her student's struggles because this could help with her own kids. This also gives their friendship a deeper connection, that Allison feals wouldn't be there if Alexa was in another field or work. Allison felt so bad for Alexa's student; no child should ever have to feel that way.

A lot of her students often tell her that they would not have gotten as far as they did if it wasn't for her teaching. This tells me that the most important aspect of her work is reaching her students on a personal level. Teaching them how they can be vulnerable and share their story, and teaching them the importance of each individual story.