[Miscellany]

Sometimes in teaching there are days where you really wonder why you are doing this job that you're doing. The thoughts usually come on those days where you're stuck working through bureaucratic stuff and admin over your normal load of work, when you have extra curriculuar activities on the weekend, when you get your pay check (haha couldn't resist) and when you're being chagrined by a parent. Those are the days when you go home, pour yourself a really big glass of wine and think about how green, lush and juicy is the grass is on the other side of the fence. Most teachers go through it at some stage or another. We're starting to think of it as the 5 year itch here. It's around year 5 when things get very difficult to handle and you think about chucking it in.

Then again, you have other days where you wonder how anyone could possibly put up with paper pushing and the horror of horrors ADULTS in the workplace. Boooooring. Kids are pretty awesome even though they will drive you completely crazy. Like Prin said when I had a conversation with her about teaching the other day they're just so entertaining!. It's true, you work your arse off but there's a lot of cool stuff that happens.

In order to teach children you need to absolutely adore them. There's no way around it. You can't be the best teacher in the world if you don't like kids because if you don't the whole game is a mind fuck. I don't mean just thinking they're cute, but to just adore how they function and think. Would you be friends with a kid? If not because duh, they're a kid - then teaching is not for you, you don't get it. You're not seeing them as people who are 'as human and worthy as you' - 'cause they are, you know.

I know that I'd have a difficult time teaching teenagers. I don't see their awesomeness though I'm so glad that there are good teachers out there that do see those things about them. High school teaching for me? No thanks!

Even though there are days when you want to chuck it in, there are other days where life is good

Some kids are a scream, like Maddie who is 8 today and loves old fashioned television show like Little House on the Prairie and likes to smudge oil pastel on her nose just so she can wash it off again.

There's Alex who is 7 and in his imagination has devised a shoe that has a funnel attached that will shoot out a continuous stream of Easter Eggs during the Easter break. He loves telling me about it.

And Cal who is in grade 6 now, who still bumps into all the furniture just like he did in grade 2, has conversations with inanimate objects and does Montgomery Burns impressions and trips over his own feet, gets up and asks if he's still my favourite! (The cheek!)

And Jordan who just learned to spell shoe I know! I know! It's S. H. O..... um...O? awwwwww I knew it yesterday!

Who could forget when Ryan finally was able to write a sentence, it was like he discovered the world!

I just adore Tom (7) who is like Denis the Menace - he will drive you completely round the twist and just when you think you're about to explode he'll come up and just beam at you and say 'I love you' (so..you know you just have to forgive him!).

Also, who could forget the dance boys, who through their willingness to give up lunchtimes have created a boy dance revolution at the school!

The grade 1/2 girls always bring a smile to my face with funny statements like: 'I love your shoes', "I love your hair", "I'm going to be an artist/prime minister when I grow up".

And when you make a fake mistake on the board and say Oh No! What should I do if I make a mistake? hmmm let me think! they take you literally and tell you not to be so hard on yourself and that you're still just great even if you do make mistakes sometimes!

And there are endless conversations about funny innocent little things they think about.

On those good days - it's a pleasure, really.

Humanity looks good from the middle of the classroom.

It looks promising.

Labels: kids, school, wonderings

posted by M at 5:04 pm 31 comments