Kirsten Bank

Growing up, I grew up in the community of Fox Lake and went to Grant Community High School from 2010-2014. During that time, I had prepped for my future to become a nurse in the pediatric field but found out very quickly in college nursing did not mean this avenue for me. When I was a child, all I did was dream of becoming a high school teacher, but I found that following my family's expectations was more important than my dreams. This led to my realization in college that I needed to pursue a passion that would help shape others differently than nursing. I have a naturally caring nature in who I am, but I want to help students grow to their fullest potential in their learning. I have the instinct on what students need at the moment that they need, and this has led me to create beautiful student relationships that help learners in the classroom while helping them grow into who they are supposed to be. This part of my nature became a part of who I am when I lost my mom to cancer in my senior year of high school. In my reflection process from that moment, I wished a teacher had shown me compassion that I did not receive from some staff members in the high school, but there was always that one teacher that stood out to me during that time. That teacher helped me feel heard, gave me grace, and showed the compassion that teachers do have for their students. I have been forever grateful for that as a student and now as an example to my students when they struggle. I listen and give grace and compassion to all of my students because not all are alike. 

My first year of teaching was nothing my college classrooms could prepare me for, along with my student teaching experience.  In my first full year of teaching, we were social distancing, teaching in masks, and going against everything education was moving to with collaborative learning. Wisconsin teachers returned to the classroom, while most Illinois schools returned to the classroom with virtual learning. We had an everyday block schedule for even and odd day classes of 90 minutes teacher, with a response to intervention period built into both days. If I am being honest, I was exhausted, burnt out, terrified, and felt utterly lost in what I was doing in my career. Each day we would receive emails about students quarantined for an extended period and then returning to the classroom missing the skills we had taught while they were gone.

It was educating students about the skills and teaching them how to catch up. Then again, receiving duplicate emails referring to students who had just returned or would be gone from the classroom. This introduced the importance of communication to keep kids learning while building relationships with them. 

This year, we began moving to standards-based grading in the classroom and breaking down standards into “I can” statements in student-friendly language. Although we are taught how to do this in the most basic format in college, doing the work in the classroom allows you to fully understand the material you are teaching. But how do we now prepare for those standards without significant gaps in the school? Again we had to adapt, grow, and support each other during this time to help those students in those learning gaps. This led to reteaching material and creating assessments that differentiated each student because of the gaps we saw in the classroom. The gaps led to constantly talking with parents, reading specialists, counselors, department chairs, administration, and our collaborative teams to all work together for a solution. This year we taught me that I also needed grace for students during this transition into “normalcy” and dignity for myself as a teacher who continues to grow. 

In the current school year, I have my feet on the ground from the past two years and finally, feel that I am evolving to be the teacher I am meant to be for my students. This year we have begun fully transitioning to standards-based grading in our classrooms but have had to change how students think about learning which has been a harsh mindset shift for students. As educators, we need to teach students how a growth mindset helps set them free from needing to be perfect at all times. I have used this comparison in the classroom because students need to release the pressure they have on themselves to learn the content with a deep understanding. Reflecting on what standards-based grading does truly gives students the freedom to learn how to better themselves and achieve those standards—additionally, it provides the students with a work ethic that gives them the freedom to fail and learn how to persevere. We as human beings can only continue to learn and grow from failing, not perfection, at all times.