My Credo Stories

Christine Bewley

I am committed to believe in my students beyond

their own beliefs. I want to push my students learning
to their limits, encouraging them to learn more that
they ever thought they were capable of.
- Christine Bewley
But Ms. Bewley, I cannot read this book. It is too hard and I
wont be able to finish in time. I remember this day as if it were
yesterday. That negative attitude this particular student brought to
school every day. His face had such a look of concern, of
disappointment, even anger in a way. I was that teacher who was
forcing him to commit to his potential. I was that teacher who was
making him do something he not only did not want to do, but
something he strongly believed he could not. I explained to him that I
knew he could do it, I told him I believed in him and that he has the
ability to do anything he puts his mind to. He refused to take my words
seriously, and wrote down his reading goals with the group reluctantly.
Inside my head, part of me did not believe he would succeed. I thought
to myself, he doesnt want to learn, he has a bad attitude he will
never finish this book. I am ashamed of these thoughts, because that
meant I had lied to this student. I told him I believed in him when in
fact I was not so sure in my head. I came into teaching wanting to
challenge my students and to believe in their potential and in that
moment I had failed him. Could he tell that although I was saying all
those things, I believed differently? Did he see my words as empty
because the emotion and passion behind them were in fact false? Or
did something I said help give him the motivation he needed? To this
day I will never know. He is one of those students you only wish you
could understand more, see more than just what was on the surface.
The day ended like any other. Students wrote down in their planners

the homework they needed to complete for the week, got them signed
and got ready to go home. This boy really struggled to keep up with
the assigned reading his group and him had set up. Although he was
never fully caught up the entire unit, he continued to read and
continued to complete the assignments.
I had given the class the task of picking a section in their novels
that they could connect to. The idea was that they would share this
connection with the class and read the chosen passion out loud. This
student blew my mind away with his preparation and commitment to
this project. His connection was mediocre and the project itself was
average, however, his passion, excitement and ability to complete the
work itself by the due date were amazing for him! I could not believe
the work he had put into it and the confidence he had while reading his
passage. He was reading, he was connecting, he was learning! It was
this point when I began to believe and I mean truly believe he was
much more capable than both he and myself had given him credit for.
Every time I saw him reading I made sure to give him encouragement
and discuss the book with him. His face no longer looked sad,
concerned and defeated, rather excited and proud.
At the end of the unit I had handed back their final package with
all the work they had done throughout their unit. He in deed finished
the book and completed the entire package. That alone gave me such
joy and made me so proud that he had made it. In his letter to the
author he even wrote that he was going to read the authors next book.
He had looked up other books by the same author and had found one
he liked. The kid, who did not think he could read, had read the hardest
book in the class and was now planning on reading another one by the
same author. This one boy had taught me more than he will ever know.
Believing in my students is more than just saying it to them, but also
the ability to look past their own beliefs and see the potential that they
are capable of. Seeing the transformation in this student showed me

that with the right encouragement and sometimes just that one person
telling you what they think you are capable of is all they need to find
the strength inside themselves to reach the unreachable. On my last
day he wrote me a note saying that I inspired him to read. Those words
will forever give me chills and remind me that everyone needs
someone to believe in them, and not just with words but also with true
passion, trust and motivation. I will always remember this experience
and remind myself to never forget to believe in my students when they
are incapable of doing so themselves. I want to give them the strength
that is sometimes hard to find and help them reach success in areas
they thought were impossible.

Students should be valued and learn to see each

other as resources.
-Christine Bewley
It is common sense for me to ask someone for help if there is
something I do not understand. That person could be a teacher, but
most likely it will be the person I am sitting next to if I am comfortable
with them. Creating an environment where students value one another
and learn to see each other as resources is something that is really
important to me as an educator. I am only one person and cannot
possibly help every student who needs it exactly when they need it.
With that being said, I want my students to understand that their
classmates can be just as reliable as me. I thought this concept would
be easy to implement into the classroom and that the students would
welcome and embrace the idea. I was very wrong.
I was teaching a math class one Friday afternoon. We were
working on problem solving and each student had the choice to choose
a series of word problems based on various difficulty levels. This was
an individual activity, however, students were encouraged to work
together if they pleased. Like every math class, I was challenged with
too many hands up and the overwhelming feeling of trying to reach

everyone. There are certain students who I know will need help getting
started which I usually attend to first. I worked my way through all the
students helping as many as I could, while stopping to check in with
everyone and give pointers every now and then. As I circulated the
classroom I reached a table of students half way through the class that
really challenged my credo.
I sat down at the table of four different students who had all
chosen the same word problems to work on. The weird part about this
was, three of the four were all having trouble with the word problems,
but were stuck at different parts. They were also all simply waiting for
my help and chatting amongst themselves about non-math related
things while waiting for me. The first student was doing fine,
progressing away through the worksheet. Her friend/ classmate sitting
right beside her was struggling with the first part of the worksheet.
Being halfway into the class, this told me she had not been doing much
since the start of the work period. The other student understood what
to do but was having trouble with one word problem in particular, while
the student right beside him did not understand that section at all. I sat
down at the table in amazement, had they not asked each other for
help at all during the whole time they were waiting? I pointed out the
student who was cruising along with the worksheet and asked the
other three if they had asked her for help. They said no. I asked the
first student if she had asked anyone at the table (they were all ahead
of her) for help, she said no. I asked the other two if they had
compared their answers or tried to work together, they said no. I felt
like I was in a cartoon and my jaw had just literally dropped to the floor.
When I asked them why they hadnt asked for help from each other,
they replied with a simple I do not know. This was when my credo
came to life; I realized that at this age group they just dont look to
each other as being resources for getting help. It is not common sense
to them and not something they are used to.

This posed two different problems for me. First was that they are
not comfortable asking each other for help, and second is they are not
comfortable giving that help to each other. A concept that comes so
easy to me is clearly not so easy for this group of students. I instantly
challenged myself to reflect after the class and think back to when I
was in a classroom at their age. Did I ask my fellow classmates for help
when needed? Did I even ask the teachers for help when needed? No. I
very rarely even asked for help if I was struggling because I was always
embarrassed. I saw asking for help as a sign of weakness, and whats
worse, is when I did ask for help I was scared to guess wrong or scared
that I would look dumb. This really put things into perspective for me
as an educator. I had made a huge assumption that once I had told
students to ask each other for help and to help each other that they
would just make it happen and it would be great. This situation made
me realize there is much more work involved in making my credo more
successful.
I identified two big areas that need to be developed. The skill of
asking for help including trusting other students to help them,
acceptance that they do not understand something and that is okay,
and getting over the fear of looking dumb in front of their classmates.
The other big area is giving them the confidence to help others. Some
students simply do not want to, others do not know how (without
giving them the answer), and others are not at a stage in their learning
where they are able to give help. With this understanding I see that I
need to work on developing and building a trusting relationship with all
the students in which they can get over the fear of judgment from one
another. I need to incorporate peer help in more of my teachings to
help them get more comfortable with the concept and I need to give
the students strategies for helping others come up with answers
without being told. This idea cannot be taught in one single lesson,
rather it is something that needs to be developed and built over time

and throughout the school year. I see the importance of this credo now
more than ever, and I am ready to take on the challenge.

Everyone has a voice and wants to be heard.

- Christine Bewley
Growing up as a kid, I was very shy. Although I had many ideas
and thoughts, I was very selective in whom I would share them with.
When placed into a classroom, I was very quiet and when teachers
would question our class, I never put my hand up. If I was called upon,
my mind would go blank and I would ramble out something, rarely
what my initial thoughts were. It was very difficult for me to talk in
large groups of people because I would get quickly intimidated. The
older I got, the more frustrated I grew as I had so much to say, but no
strength to actually say it. I grew very scared every time teachers
asked questions, hoping that my name would not get called.
In grade 11 I switched schools and decided I did not want to be
shy anymore. In a new environment I became able to express myself
much better, however, I still feared being called upon by teachers. Not
only was I afraid to share my thoughts in class, I was also afraid to ask
questions even if they were one on one. I was scared the teacher
would think I was dumb or worse, they would try to help me and I still
wouldnt understand. I always felt I needed more time to process
information while others seemed to pick it up very easily. From a
teachers perspective, I must have looked like a quiet kid who didnt
have much to say; however, inside I was eager to share my ideas and
full of questions. I strongly believe my learning experience could have
been much more opportune if only I had asked and answered more
questions, challenged others with my thoughts while receiving their
responses, and therefore gained more confidence in my own creative
ideas.

It is because of these past experiences I honestly believe that

each and every person has their own set of ideas, thoughts and
questions. Some might not be willing to speak in front of the entire
class, put their hands up to ask or answer questions, or even come talk
to a teacher one on one, however, that does not mean they do not
want to be heard. Every student, regardless of their actions deserves a
chance to be heard in a way they feel comfortable. This realization
happened in high school, however, it has become more and more
apparent to me as I began volunteering in schools during my college
years. I saw kids whom reminded me of myself, and I saw how their
actions were similar to my own. I understand what they are going
through and want to help make a difference so they maximize their
learning at a younger age than I had.
I really hope to create an environment where everyone
understands how valuable their voice is while feeling safe enough to
share that voice in various settings. I hope to ensure that everyones
voice is heard and acknowledged in a positive manner. The more
questions asked, thoughts shared, and voices heard, the more learning
that can occur for everyone that is involved.
I hold true to this belief because I remember how trapped I felt,
having so much to say but no confidence to say it. I have talked to
those most quiet in a class and I have seen them open up when given
the opportunity to do so. Holding true to this belief has allowed me to
hear some amazing perspectives and new ideas from people whom I
might have never spoken with. Whether that means I have questioned
them one on one, created small group discussions, or even just
actively listened while they spoke, I tried to ensure they felt they were
being heard. I have made many efforts to help those around me have a
significant voice.

This belief makes a bold statement that everyone has a voice

and wants to be heard. I understand that there are always instances
where some may not want to have a voice or to be heard for various
reasons during particular times. I hope to respect that some might
need more time for reflection or processing to occur before they are
ready to be heard. There may be certain topics that people feel
uncomfortable discussing, or days where they are having a hard time
and silence might be their way of coping. My biggest goal is to ensure
that I have created a safe place where all my students understand
their voice is important and when they speak, they will always be
heard.