Here's To A New Week

Picture Courtesy of MD Photography 

Pondering.
Thinking.
Meditating.

Weekends are essential for all professionals, but I think more so for teachers. Working day in and day out with students can really wear on your soul. As an educator, you become so ingrained in your student's lives (supporting, teaching, explaining, supporting, encouraging, parenting, counseling, supporting, crying over) that you need to have a break to regroup.

I am reminded of a poster at our high school. It listed all the services that teachers provide and then the tag line was "The Service is All Hours". I love the play on words there. It is a pleasure and an honor to work with the youth of today- to try and get them to see themselves as we, their teachers, see them- A chore to be sure.

In this effort to help the students visualize and achieve, we, as teachers may fall short. Much to the shock of the world (sarcasm) teachers are not perfect. But, as I have stated earlier, I don't claim, nor WANT to be a perfect teacher. It is the daily adventure that makes teaching attractive to me.

I guess the disenchantment comes when you work really hard to prepare lessons only to have the students totally disengage from what you are doing- or attempting to do. I can't always fix that, and I am working hard to not let it discourage me. After all, I offer after school help twice a week (rarely anyone stays), I offer lunch help and STRONGLY encourage students to to stay in at recesses and get help (rarely does anyone do so). Now, with the passing of bills that tie my paycheck to student achievement, I can see a new era dawning.

Teachers will fight back. See, if a student fails on purpose, the teacher will then fail the student. In high school, this could wreak havoc with scholarships and graduation potential. In elementary....really nothing to hold over their heads BUT grades, of which fewer and fewer students give any heed to. Teacher's will also abandon all teaching styles to "teach to the test". It will be a sad day for schools when teachers will become "Drill and Kill" masters once more in an attempt to get their students to pass "the test". Sadly, many of us have already started to leave the creative path for the more direct path.

What does all this mean? I'm not sure, but time will tell. But for now,
I am looking forward to a new week and an opportunity to once again work to convince students that math and reading is important, and to work to support and encourage, counsel...

Later...

Thank Goodness for Teacher Friends!

I had a rough day. Not only did I have to do something at school that I totally did not agree with (it was done to appease a situation that could have become volatile), but then I had to sit through a HORRIBLE college class. Thankfully I have a teaching friend to visit with during this time. She makes the class bearable.

But tonight was extra nice. I was able to chat with another good teaching friend. This friend was able to share all sorts of great ideas, tell funny stories to lighten my mood, and discuss iPod games. But it was deeper than that. You see, most people think they "know" about teachers, what it feels like, what it means, that it is easy...blah blah. But unless you are or have been a teacher, you really have no idea. Therefore when you try and understand my grief, my frustration, my anger, my despair you can't. No, you can say you do, and you can sympathize with me, but in all honesty you really can't understand. No offense. (Thanks for trying though).

I was really grateful to have a friend who could really say, "Ya, I felt that way the other day because of..." or "I know what you mean. That happened to me too." And I know that this friend really did go through that. There is just a feeling of understanding that non-teachers can't create. So, thank you my teaching friends, for being there and being willing to open up. And thanks to those of my non-teaching friends who continue to encourage me. I need that too!

Later...

Houston We Have Success

As the bus pulled in to the parking lot of the high school, my heart started to beat just a bit faster. This was the moment- my students would either make me look good or like a total loser. I had faith that they would make it work, but they are 6th graders after all! We wound our way into the building and found our seats. I let the kids rest for a minute before taking them out into the vast open space of the gym floor.

I got them all lined up and ready to go. They were nervous and I was excited. My class was first again and I loved it. They would be able to do their dance and then they would get to simply enjoy the rest of the performances.

The music started and I couldn't do anything but smile bigger and bigger as my class danced the best they had ever danced. Not only that, but they were smiling! They were enjoying themselves. I knew right then and there that the festival had once again been a success. It really was worth all the frustration and stress of getting the kids to listen and practice.

I guess it is the memories like these that re-energize our teacher batteries and remind of the real reason we teach- the kids. I can't imagine the day when I don't have a class of stress creating, at times heartbreaking, never-cease-to-amaze me kids to work with.

Later...

First Night!

Tonight was the first actual rehearsal of the play. The play asks for a choir. Well, because of lack of interest in the older kids, I have 10 girls to be the 15-20 member mixed-gender choir! lol
However, I will say that they are really good! Tonight went really well. We made it through the first 2 songs pretty well. ("A noun is a person, place, or thing", and "3 is a magic number") I feel that the kids (if they will practice A LOT) will have this ready to go in the next three weeks.

School went well until the last 20 minutes. Right at the end of the day I had a fight break out in my room. That wasn't my favorite. My new thing with the kids is "Is that building up or putting down?" I hope that they really start to see that I want them to be supportive of each other and build each other up. If what they are doing doesn't do that, then they need to stop and correct the behavior. I am excited for Monday and the new plan of attack I was able to start putting together with help from our school counselor.

I also need to start writing the talk that I am going to give on Sunday with my father in Moab. The topic is Repentance. That is HUGE! I have some thought floating around in my head. We'll see how it flows forth. :)

I am so thankful that I get the next two days off. I need some time to recharge my emotional batteries. The last few days have been a challenge, but very rewarding to me. Just when
I think that I have failed as a teacher, and start feeling that I need to find some other profession, I have a really good day and it makes all the garbage a teacher goes through worth it. Nothing beats a student or parent telling you, as a teacher, "Thank-you for your hard work with my (or my student). I appreciate it." That is worth more than any gift a student could ever give me.

Well, tomorrow is going to be a full day. That way I can focus on relaxing. I have a tutoring session at 9am, clean the garden starting at 10am, voice lesson at 4pm and then possible to the school to get things done and I can enjoy the next few days after that.

Later...