Realities of Being a Teacher, Final post: 1. I couldnt post on day 6 and 7 because I was too busy grading to post on Facebook. I was grading about 60 essays that I wanted to get back to my students within a week so they would not forget what they had written, why, etc. Feedback is more effective when it is not delayed too long. That means grading all evening, at least till ten, when my brains turn to mush. 2. My previous posts take you through a very typical English Teacher week cycle. Read them, please, if you are reading this one, so everything will be in context. 3. Now for the WHY I do it part. Some might have thought previous posts were about, poor me ; I am a teacher. I work so hard. Well, I do work hard. However, it is not without reward. Do I wish it did not require working at night and weekends? Sure. But this is my profession. These post were only about sharing REALITIES. Hence the title of the posts. On to the rewards part. 4. Kids are FASCINATING. You never know what you are going to get--when they speak--when they write. They are never BORING! 5. Kids can say and write brilliant things. I get to see those words enter the world. I get to encourage them to bring those words into the world. That is rewarding. 6. Especially with sophomores, you get to help in growing them up. You know what they say about sophomores, right? Well, for the great majority of them, it is quite true. After they read Night by Elie Wiesel, and A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, and we have those REAL discussions about evil, prejudice, survival beyond all things fathomable, about broken dreams, about young women like Malala, about people who are proving through their experiences and wisdom that it is not ALL ABOUT ME, they leave my course not only better readers and writers, but I also hope and believe, better human beings. That is my greatest reward. Young people leaving my classroom as more aware, more accepting human beings. I know this through what they say as we begin and what they say and write as we end. There. I have posted a typical week with its not so typical rewards. Thank you, kiddos. See ya next week.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 03:15:21 +0000
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