Sitting down to write this post seemed very hard. This was a seemingly very long week and it was as if my mind had nothing left to give. This week, I realized that class management is a task that even a veteran teacher can still have trouble with. As I have spent another week working with new instructional styles and active engagement, it seems there is a thin line between being loud and rowdy and having fun while learning; especially if you are another teacher walking past your classroom. I know now to close the door as not to disturb others. Or perhaps, they were just jealous of all the fun learning taking place. Just kidding!
Not unlike other times, I had more questions this week. This semester of student teaching has certainly been a journey full of thinking and learning, and learning and thinking. How do you handle this? What would happen if this? At times I feel like a pest; however, my ST and the other teachers are great in answering questions and I know that I am there to ask and learn. If I had to identify any frustrations this week it would be when you come across a student that has, as they say, “fallen through the cracks”. I read somewhere, in reference to behavior, that people should not look at what was done, but consider why it was done. Recently I have been considering the reasons why students behave the way they do. What do you do when counselors say things are alright but you know something is not right? As a teacher, who works with the student every day, shouldn’t what you observe matter? You do what you can without it negatively affecting the other students but you still don’t seem to make any progress. Each day this week I would return to the class trying and thinking today there will progress.
As a child, I knew I always wanted to be involved in philanthropy. This week it became even more clear to me that while I am not giving millions of dollars, the profession I have chosen is certainly one where giving of your time, of your energy, of your resources, and of your heart every day can rival any monetary gift.
I had tears while I read this. You have such a "teacher's heart". That is something you cannot teach, cannot buy, cannot explain to someone who doesn't have it. It is just naturally part of you. And, you my dear, have it. What a wonderfully thoughtful post. Sometimes you don't have anything left to give at the end of a day or week. That's when you have to take a little time for yourself and recharge those batteries. Do something fun, don't think about work for a few hours. Rent a movie, go out to dinner, watch a comedy. Trust me you will feel better!
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Iona