I feel like I ran a marathon today - I'm sweaty and overhwelmed. During my classes, my usual subdued self jumped around like a madman, yelling over fans and seniro farewell in the halls. In my second period, I got so into reading The Odyssey that I shouted into the fan for Polyphemus' voice. The first time, the kids all laughed, as they should, but after that, I apparently just sold them on the character so they just took it in stride. It was one of the funniest things I've ever done. I had so much damn fun with those kids this year.
This was the last day of class for A day and I'll miss these kids a lot - all of them. I wish I had been a better teacher this year. I just feel so mediocre right now.
In my 5/6 class, I was writing on the board while the kids were doing some group work, and this girl said to me, "You know, Mr. (E), it looks like you've gained a lot of weight this year." That's the problem with being a friendly, approachable teacher. Kids can say just the most unbelievable things to you sometimes. Next year, I'm not smiling until December.
Actually, it's a lot easier to be tough when you have a classroom. Next year, it's back to tough as nails. (I'm not actually ever like this, but a classroom tends to make me more organized, which in turn makes me tougher.)
Truth Jolt
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4 comments:
You're clearly not a merely mediocre teacher. I'm sure you have exemplary teaching skills and you certainly have a heart for all your students, even informally adopting one. It must just be the extreme heat in the school, the sadness about saying goodbye to all the kids you love and that rude and uncalled for comment about weight that has you feeling like you're less than a wonderful teacher. I would have liked having you for a teacher!
Aw, thanks. I just have high expectations for my teaching and it just hasn't felt like that great of a year. Next year, though, next year... watch out for me then.
Urban high school English teacher from Arizona here, and have had a similarly so so teaching year. Funny, having had rude comments about my weight this year (ruder that yours), I never connected it with being friendly and approachable. I just chalked it up to an idiot kid, but I think there is something to what you say. No smiling until December. Definitely going to try that!
I don't think I have to be the first one to tell you that high school girls generally have no filter between their brain and their mouth. Any woman that survived high school unscathed by the assholic behavior of other girls is lucky as hell. Nine chances out of ten, if you have something nasty said to you in a classroom, I'm betting it was a girl who said it.
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