The Stories...

Being an elementary teacher is a particularly trying experience. It's also particularly rewarding. Over the relatively short period of time that I've spent as a teacher I've cried, laughed and been speechless on so many occasions by the antics that go on in my little world called a classroom. Days later I'll find myself reflecting on a moment with a tear or a smile and telling myself "I really should write this stuff down." As I launch into another year of teaching, I'm sure to add to the collection of stories I already have to record. This profession is a gift. Not everyone can do it and certainly not everyone can enjoy it. But some of us can and some of us do. I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm not the best teacher in the world, I don't have the best ideas or even the most unique. I don't have the fanciest of credentials and I haven't invented anything groundbreaking. But I do have a philosophy about my job and the role it plays in our society and it's on that philosophy that I build each lesson. It's the philosophy that every child has potential and should be approached as if they hold the keys to the success of future generations. I know that not all of them will succeed and most will probably never go beyond ordinary. But do you think when Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama walked into their first day of grade school that their teacher looked at them and thought, this kid will make history? I doubt they had any idea. But hopefully they looked at them and thought, here is a child, let me strive to empower them to change the world. They did and just maybe it was partly her we can all thank. And so here is my little blog, my ideas, my best and worst moments, my thought process on educating, and how it plays out each day.

Together with my students we have successes and failures. As they say on Law and Order, "These are their stories..."

(all student names have been changed to Jane and Johnny for the privacy and protection of the students and their families)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

First Days

Cubbies and drawers, empty and waiting for the new students.
First days of school are always hard for me.  Don't get me wrong, in the big scheme of things they usually go great. Today was my first day back and I hardly had to do anything. The "honeymoon" syndrome was in full swing and the kids didn't so much as cross their eyes in the wrong direction.  Everyone was quiet, shy and perfectly stunned with the new atmosphere and routine.  Like little robots they followed every instruction to the hilt. It was every teacher's dream.  Everything I planned happened in just the way I had planned it.  But the passion wasn't there. I didn't yet love my class. They were like little strangers to me.  The deep loyalty, love and adoration I have for my students was missing, it's not there- not yet.  Each May I say goodbye to my students with the feeling that I'll never have a class I adore as much as I adored that one, and each August I welcome a new batch of students with the feeling that they'll just never live up to the last batch. But there's one thing I've learned- they all do.  Regardless of how much you make up your mind not to like them, not to love them, not to give way to unbridled adoration of their little persons, kids have a way of worming into your heart, settling in and leaving you changed forever.  Today was the first day. Tomorrow will be the second. Sometime in the third or fourth day I'll realize I'm in love. that I've fallen head of heals for a group of kids and I'll never love another class the way I love this one...at least until the next one comes along.  To all my past, present and future students- thank you for always being "the ultimate."
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)