Middle School

The LAUSD Teacher Strike, Part II: Gratitude is the Greatest Gift!

The LAUSD Teacher Strike, Part II: Gratitude is the Greatest Gift!

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Outside Virgil Middle School picketing when a few of my former students came out to show their support

PART II:

During the rain, parents, members of the community, and former students came to Virgil Middle School to bring doughnuts, homemade goods like hot beverages, tamales, tacos, and other tasty treats. One passerby stopped to drop off a stack of ponchos. Teachers took turns bringing food to share, setting up and breaking down the tents daily, purchasing various necessities like mega phones, batteries, and materials to make signs. People looked out for others—guarded their gear when venturing to rallies, gathered materials and items left behind, and above all, no one got left behind. Every single person on the picket line wasn’t a friend, they were family. We took trips to local businesses to use the restrooms. We painstakingly helped one another peel the layers upon layers off when breaking for lunch. We shared food, offering bites of burritos and pizza that we may have waited an hour in line to get at a rally because they were free. We took photos with and of one another, and giggled in delight after deciding if we should take another picture. These weren’t just people I have known and worked with through the years, these people became my brothers and sisters. What we shared out there, marching, walking, protesting, singing, dancing, chatting, yelling, and crying, can never be recaptured. Nor can the feelings of support from the community, city, and nation for the teachers of Los Angeles. 

Thank you.

  • Me enjoying a much needed hot beverage. This is arroz con leche (rice and milk) that a parent of a student at Virgil Middle School made for the picketing teachers. Check out the size of that pot!
  • I am forever grateful to the parents of the community that I serve, thank you doesn’t seem like enough for the things you have done for us

For me though, one of the biggest things I am walking away from this experience with is feeling like I must have done something right in my life. During the strike, I received countless communication from students I’ve had over the years. These messages were former students sharing how my work as a teacher positively impacted them and included extensive gratitude for walking the line and taking a stand.

Rain or shine, and even if the strike went on for longer–every single bit of the effort I put forth into standing up for public education was worth it. It’s a pretty fantastic feeling to know that by proxy of being the teacher that I am, and for being who I am, that I changed people’s lives.

Marlen and Ashley, now 8th graders are two students I had in the 7th grade

Some powerful highlights of the six days were when one of my students, now 22 years old surprised me by showing up to the picket line with doughnuts. But that’s not even the best part! This young lady wanted to tell me in person that she is in graduate school to be a teacher…because of me. It’s ok, you can cry now. But wait, it keeps getting better.

Another one of my students came to show his support before heading to class. He now attends Syracuse University in New York and heralds his time in LAUSD and his teachers as the reason for his success[es].

And finally, another highlight comes from a man—I cannot even say young man, because he is now 27! He was in my first ever group of students when I started with LAUSD and now works in law enforcement. He is a single father with full custody of his two beautiful children that he is raising with the help of his parents. He is articulate, bright, responsible, and informed. The one thing though that spoke to me most that he is a thriving adult and proof what good teachers can do for a child’s future. Great teachers forever arm people with the skills and capabilities to live life wholly and completely on their own accord. Unable to picket with us due to his job, he took me to lunch. See, it’s the acts of kindness that reverberate for me.

  • Astrid, 22 years old, Graduate Student, future teacher.
  • Franklin, 20 years old, Syracuse University
  • Eduardo, 27 years old, Father and works in law enforcement
  • Leah, 9th grader at Bravo Medical Magnet
  • Karla, 8th grader, Virgil Middle School, Medical Magnet
  • Some of my former students showing their support
  • More students showing their support during the LAUSD Teacher Strike
  • Me with more of my former students, AKA my heart

It’s not that I taught these kids to write a kick ass essay (though that’s super important and really cool too), it’s that these kids clearly got ‘it’. And by ‘it’ I mean what it takes to be good human, to show compassion for others, to be an active participant in your community and society, to support others, to stand up for what you believe in, to view life’s challenges as opportunities, and above all, the value in expressing gratitude.

This strike wasn’t just about a fair contract for teachers. Well, in part it was. But it was a message to the world that teachers can and will stand up for what is right for students. The strike also showed me just how valuable a good teacher is (not that I didn’t already know and all). Teachers possess the power to forever alter the trajectory of one’s life for the better and the proof exists in the faces of those children, now adults, who stood by my side, reached out to me, or quietly watched their former teacher talk the talk and literally walk the walk.

This is the legacy I choose to leave behind.

Karla and Kimberly, now 8th graders were in my honors class and homeroom in the 7th grade–oh, the great times we had together!

Simply, I walk away from these six days with my newfound family, and a better understanding of how much both my colleagues and I matter to the kids we serve. I say this a lot and I will say it again. Being a teacher is a privilege. I have and will continue to take every single second I stand in front of kids seriously, and I thank you for calling me your teacher. I proudly wear the title Teacher (or ‘Miss’). And while I didn’t need a strike to show me the importance of the work I do and its impact, it only reinforced that quality teachers are needed more than ever.

Dear Teacher, a Letter for You

Dear Teacher, a Letter for You

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I have been spending a lot of time thinking about my work as a public educator. This recent introspection has been brought on but the fact that currently I am mentoring a student teacher. And it wasn’t until these last few months in working with him that I had a new reverence for my profession. As a matter of fact, this recent experience has shown me that the work I do day in and day out cannot be quantified. On a daily basis my work is all-consuming. From the constant adjustments to my lessons based on the needs of my students, to grading paper after paper, to the tedious documentation of student interventions in our district-mandated system, to meeting with and calling parents in my free time, to making copies, grading more papers, and finally doing it all with a smile and grace–I am simply amazed at how demanding ‘just being a teacher’ really is!

Now, even though I have mentored several student teachers throughout my career; it is right now in this very moment and school year that I feel I am at my very-best self. The nuances of how I run my class truly are all-encompassing. At any given time, I am navigating 2-3 different novels, facilitating individual and group projects, creating and giving assessments, and preparing for what’s to come next. Wow, being a teacher is HARD, especially when you write your own curriculum. So, you can imagine just how difficult it is to help guide someone in their quest to become a teacher then layer on your discipline policies, grading scale, organizational techniques, and classroom management approach. Ugh, it is beyond me why people still devalue the teaching profession and why we pay our educators so little…but I digress.

But the reason I wrote this piece was not to tell you how friggen awesome I am. Trust me, I am fully aware of my gifts as an educator and there is no shortage of self-confidence. I wrote a letter to new and struggling teachers and I wanted to share it with the world.

Recently, another student teacher at my school, (not under my guidance) abruptly pulled out of her teaching placement. After 6 months of being in the classroom, she just couldn’t do it anymore. She reached her breaking point, citing not being supported in her classroom, and ultimately the needs of our students being too much, ultimately causing her to crumble under the weight of our work.

My heart hurts for this young woman and for all the others whom have come into this profession and given up before her. This job is not just a job, nor career. Teachers are charged with the greatest task of all, sculpting today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders, doctors, lawyers, mechanics, writers, painters, innovators, movers, shakers and more! My brain struggles to make sense of how we demand so much of teachers, yet compensate them so poorly while allowing them to be disrespected by multiple entities such as administration, lawmakers, the press, parents, and more. But for me, out of all this darkness must come light—it always does.

To my fellow educators, new and veteran, from far and wide; this is for you.

Remember you matter and have a place here.

Thank you for all that you do in shaping young hearts and minds.

Dearest Teacher,

This work is HARD. It is soulful and soulless at the same time.

You are expected to be everything to everyone at all times—while being your best self, day in and day out regardless of what may be going on in your personal life; all while delivering culturally relevant and rigorous content to the masses.

The demands are never-ending. The stakes are high and the cost to you and your soul is heavy.

It takes a strong person, almost one with a hardened heart to do the work we do in urban schools, but also someone with a soft-gooey center to let the kids in. To love them when they need it most, yet also just hard enough to push them to reach beyond themselves into the vast unknown.

This job and this work isn’t for everyone. It demands a ferocity of heart and soul that can fizzle out faster than a candle without oxygen IF you do not take care of yourself FIRST and FOREMOST, always. Cardinal rule number one of leading a life of service is to serve yourself FIRST. You must always remain number one in your life. For in order to be a great leader, to guide these children; you must ensure you are protecting your head and heart at all costs.

As a teacher, your heart and soul is boundless. You see the good and untapped potential in every child that walks through your door. Your unbounding positivity is precisely what sets you apart from others and why you sought out this profession. But doing this work, being of such great importance to so many people comes at a price and often times, since we do not protect ourselves from such vulnerabilities, it is us whom must pay the toll. However, you must learn how to adapt, how to survives, and above all how to preserve yourself. And while you do not see it now in the midst of all the trials of your day, and trust me you cannot—what you do and what you say matters to these kids.

California Science Center Field Trip January 2018 with my 7th graders

Take it from someone who routinely is branded “The Mean Teacher” because I have high standards and push my students to produce meaningful work. What the kids say about me hurts. It hurts in ways I cannot convey. BUT, I am the teacher they never forget. I am the teacher they know would do anything for them. I am the teacher they come back to see years later, contact, and herald as the person who helped get them to college. So, while it’s hard to see the light now…You are igniting the spark to a fire that will burn brightly for many, many, many years to come.

Stay the course and keep fighting the good fight.

Yours in Solidarity,

Arielle Miller AKA as my students call me “Miss”

The Face of Courage

The Face of Courage

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As many of you know, my recent years in education have been very difficult. I’ve endured verbal abuse from students and parents, been viciously sexually harassed, accused of and investigated for egregious and baseless claims regarding my teaching practice and craft, worked for inept and simply uninvolved administration—and the list goes on.

In an effort to find my light, love, and a home school to rediscover my love for my work in public service, I landed back at Virgil Middle School—my very first home in Los Angeles 12 years ago. My fall semester was agonizing and I will leave it at that. Every single class on my roster except my honors class had failing averages. I made countless parent phone calls, met with virtually every single parent (some more than once), and honestly, my spirit was broken. So when I assigned my most recent oral project to my students; as you can imagine, my expectations were admittedly quite low. What happened next are a series of events that will forever be etched upon my soul that have truly transformed me.

The assignment was simple: Depict yourself in the duality of how the world sees you juxtaposed to how you see yourself. Students could choose to convey themselves in human or animal form.

One after the other, my students stood in front of their classmates and authentically shared their darkest deepest hurt, insecurities, battles, and above all their revelations.

One girl in her power stood in front of us and said (and I paraphrase), “I am tired of hiding, pretending, and feeling different. I am tired of fighting who I am and I need to tell you, tell the world that I am gay. And I know that many people in the world will have a problem with that, but I am just so confused and I am so tired of not feeling like I can be myself. But here I am—I not hiding any more. I am gay.”

Every single student in my class had started crying. Tears flowed from my face and onto my sweater. I was so engrossed in what was unfolding before my eyes, I hadn’t bothered to wipe my face. I stood up and applauded loudly. I hugged the young girl and looked her in the face and told her how brave she was, and that her courage inspired me.

Then, a young boy raised his hand, “Can I go next?”

In his soft and delicate voice, he told us that he much prefers to hang out with the girls. That he’s afraid that he won’t have friends or that people will judge him if he tells them who he really is, how he really feels, and of his struggles with his sexuality. He tells us that he’s fearful the people on his sports teams will not accept him, bully him, and treat him differently if he tells them who he really is.

Then, he looked at the young girl who previously shared, she is sobbing and the entire class is too. He thanked her for giving him the courage to stand tall in front of his classmates and share with us that he was bisexual.

Students raised their hands, asking if they could talk to these young people. And right there in room 325, lives were changed, perspectives forever altered, compassion facilitated, and bridges were built. Student after student, with tears staining their faces exclaimed that they have these students backs forever, that they love them, support them, and that love is love—who the hell cares what someone looks like as we are all human and deserve to feel worthy in this world.

My students lined up to hug these pioneers. Audible sobs emerged from the masses of huddled bodies congregating in various parts of the room and I couldn’t help but someone think that every single bit of what I have been through led me to this very moment in time. Every time I sat in an office and was reprimanded for my rigor and high standards, every parent complaint that I gave too much homework, every kid who cursed me out, and even the parent who verbally attacked me in room full of parents was supposed to happen. It was preparing me to be able to hold space for these young people and gave me opportunity to create a safe zone for my students. And the thing is, I would do it all over again. What happened today was supposed to happen. I was supposed to be a vessel for these young people to find safety, stability, love, a voice, and above all—I helped them find themselves.

You know, they say that the greatest lessons to be learned about life, love, purpose, meaning, and priority are to be learned from children. Today, I saw the many faces of courage and that love always, always, always, wins.

You Can Always Go Home

You Can Always Go Home

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the crucibleAs the end of the school year is within my grasp, I wanted to take the time to share something with the world. My recent years in education have been trying—to say the least. I have bounced around from school to school and like Goldilocks, none of them were just right. While it may seem to come as a shock (or maybe not to some), I have decided to leave Fairfax High School in West Hollywood. It was not an easy decision, but in the end; my heart was pulled elsewhere and I needed to listen to it. That said, my short tenure at Fairfax has certainly been challenging but also very rewarding.

I wanted to highlight some joys of my work this year and give a shout out to my honors kids: BEAR. You won’t get it, and don’t have to, but they will 🙂

  • This year I have seen a timid autistic child blossom into a social butterfly, making friends, laughing with others, and giving wonderful presentations in front of the whole class with grace and confidence! Not only that, this beautiful child has blessed me by letting me into her world and writing stories [and I am in them as a super-hero type–must be the hair] that she shares with me daily. Also, her mother and I have formed a wonderful bond through her daughter and we have become friends. My work as her daughter’s teacher has transcended the classroom. I am more to this young lady and her mother than just her English teacher.  I am someone who saw her light, let it shine, and created a life long bond. To me, there is nothing more powerful than building a lasting relationship and really seeing someone.

 

  • In one of my classes two students wrote me letters about their personal lives thanking me for saving them from taking their own lives. Sadly, yes you absolutely read that correctly. These young girls detailed how without me, without the help I got them, without the journaling we did in my class—they may not be here with us today. Oh, how my heart hurts to imagine these angels not in this world to share their gifts with us. I am humbled to be the person that guided them to see their self-worth and I admire their courage in combatting depression. You both know who you are and I want you to know that you are both SO BRAVE and to never stop fighting for yourself because you are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy. You are so darn worthy.

 

  • Finally, my biggest take away from this year is watching so many of my students share with me that I taught them how to love themselves, be compassionate to others, to OWN THEIR AWESOME, and never accept the status quo. In reading the end of year reflections from my students, though some may have failed because they didn’t do their work—they got it. Do good and be good, and the universe will collaborate in your favor. Thank you my dear students at Fairfax High School. I have loved every minute (well most minutes) with you and will forever recall our many laughs, riveting discussions, and the tears we shared while bonding. I promise to take all that I have learned from you as I re-transition back to middle school and assume a 7th grade position at Virgil Middle School—where it all started 12 years ago. That’s right, I am returning home.

bunny earsIt is with a giddy heart that I share my excitement to return to middle school and back where I began my teaching career. Virgil was where I learned to be great. My former principal Ada Snethen saw something in me; and the only reason I am the educator I am today is because of her. Thank you, Ada. It is with that, that I leave you a letter I wrote to my students as I bid them farewell and we now start our journeys without one another…

 

Dearest Students,

Saying goodbye is never easy but alas, a part of life.

Life is nothing but a series of transitions. You have transitioned from elementary to middle then to high school. Soon enough you will transition from high school to college, and then into the work place. The goal is not to avoid or fight these transitions, but to meet these challenging times of monumental change with zest, joy, and an open mind. While transitioning through life is never easy; the idea is that each and every time you navigate something new you take the lessons of those before you from friends, family, teachers, and most of all yourself. It is my hope that through our time together you have learned that life is never easy, but a magnificent gift meant to be lived to the fullest while living your truth as you pursue your passions. And on that note, I wanted to leave you with some nuggets of greatness and truth bombs for you to look back on when you need a little extra motivation.

First of all, no matter what society or others will try to tell you, there is nothing wrong with you. Get that through your head. You are completely normal and perfect in the skin you occupy and the body that warehouses your power. It is OK to be sad, confused, and lost. If you weren’t I would be worried. No one your age—heck, even at my age should ever have a set sense of who they are or where they are going etched into stone.

That is what is so beautiful about life—growing, learning, and figuring it all out.

Discovering what you like, don’t like, need, don’t need, what or whom is healthy for you and what or whom is not. Every experience is designed to shape who you are…who you will be. Sure, it’s tough, but it is supposed to be. If it were easy and you didn’t struggle, you would never learn anything, nor see the value in life’s experiences. Don’t let old mistakes or misfortunes hold you down. You are not a victim of your life or circumstance unless you choose to be. Learn from mistakes, forgive yourself, and above all, forgive those that have hurt you.

Strife and conflict help you emerge from something stronger than you were before. The key is to never be discouraged by adversity but to meet it as a challenge and rise above it. Remember that the pain and sacrifice you experience while working for something is temporary. But the pride and lessons you take away from something will last forever. Be empowered by the courage it takes you to overcome obstacles; never forget that with most things in life, things always get harder before they get easier.

It is always darkest before dawn, but there is always light. Never forget that. Good will always prevail because Good never, ever gives up.

You are on a path of self-discovery. “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Relish and enjoy every little bit of your journey. There is no race to “be good at life”. Trust me, because in the end, the only race you are running in this life is with yourself. You have no one to beat or catch up to. Do you. Be you. And most of all: Look in the mirror and love YOU.

Find the simple beauty in a cool, crisp breeze. Revel in the stillness of the morning as the sun is rising, slowly awakening the city for a day filled with promise and hope. Admire a flower in bloom and stop to savor its scent. Pause to start living. No, I mean really live. Put down your cell phone and look up—you will amaze yourself at the wonders that surround you when you pause from the 4-inch screen between your thumbs and just look up once and a while. Stop watching and vow to never be a bystander to your own life. Start listening to your heart and let it guide you. Your heart is the epicenter of your very being and it will never lead you astray. Don’t over-think the simple things in life—sometimes, simplicity is a good thing. Take it for what it is and delight in the fact that some things can still be understood and resolved with a smile.

Be cautious to whom you trust with your heart, and be careful how you treat those with whom you share yours. Do not allow any one person or whomever you fall for to dictate your emotions. The right person will love you for you and never make you feel bad for being who you are. The right person will celebrate you and all of your successes along the way. Conversely, that very same person will embrace you for your faults too—not use them as a weapon to tear you down. As you grow, the right person and people will treat your heart with care, elevating you to heightened levels of greatness.

Never settle for someone who treats you like an option when you are indeed a priority. For if you want anyone in this world to see your true worth, you yourself must see your own value first.

Stand tall with your head high. Be confident in the person you are becoming every day and only take on things that make you happy. Life is too short to waste your time invested in people or things that bring you sadness or hold you back. If something no longer serves you, let it go. You do not need anyone’s permission or approval to attack your dreams. Own Your Awesome.

Do not harbor or hold onto anger, it will only bring you down and prevent you from being able to move forward. This adventure called life is filled with joy but sometimes you need to look beyond the thickness of trial and tribulation to see the light trickling through.

Take a genuine interest in others. Learn and grow from those who have walked the path you are on.

Give back to your community by lifting those up who need it most. Be the change and stop waiting for others to take action. Use your voice and refuse to be silenced. Stand firm in the face of injustice and never back down.

Make connections and build bridges. Leave a legacy behind of indelible grace, honor, and magnitude upon each and every heart you come in contact with. Inspire others by living your truth and forging a new path.

I know I said it earlier, but I will say it again. There is always light. Never forget that. Good will always prevail because Good never, ever gives up and you are Good.

Forever Your English Teacher,

Mrs. Miller

 

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