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February 24, 2007
Saying Goodbye!
Lemire (skim Ch 2-7) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
"As a teacher your job is to care about your students, and yet, within a year or a few months, those young people wiill have moved on. You may never hear from them again, you have no way of knowing if what you taught them sank in or meant the least bit of difference in their lives."
I know that I want to teach. There's nothing that anyone can say to make me change my mind. It's what I've always wanted to do. This is something that I think I'm going to have a hard time with. How is it possible to keep your emotional distance from students when you see them everyday, for 180 days of the year, and have meaningful discussions in class and truly get to know them? I suppose I would get used to it over the years, but I definately think it will be difficult.
"Even if you think you are, by nature, a patient person, I guarentee that your patience has never been tested like it is tested teacher-style."
I'm very sure that Lemire is right here. I remember how my class was in high school, and I think that there's a good way to deal with this: laughter. I've talked to a lot of teachers over the past 2 years with practicums and observation. The two things that they ALWAYS tell me are most important, are flexibility and a sense of humor. Sometimes you just have to laugh with students. It'll make your life MUCH easier!
Posted by CheraPupi at February 24, 2007 11:37 AM
Comments
Yea, I know it can be hard letting go, but I have a high school teacher Mr. Alvear who I absolutely love. He was one of the best teachers I've ever had, and I still till this day send him e-mails and visit him at school when I can. So to the kids in whose life you make a difference they will try to keep in touch with you. As for the others there are always new students coming in ever year that you can help.
Posted by: JaraWhite at February 27, 2007 11:50 PM
SOME students will tell you that you made a difference in their lives.
Some will accuse you of ruining their lives, too, but that's another story.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at February 26, 2007 6:15 PM
Yeah, I could never be a high school teacher. They have to teach so many people who really don't want to be where they are. I don't think it would be quite so bad teaching more motivated students who are willing to let you teach them, but a lot of high school students have a lot of hostility toward school and teachers in general. In order to break through those hostile barriers, you'd really have to have a sense of humor and not take any negative feelings the students have in a personal way.
Posted by: Matt Henderson at February 26, 2007 1:23 PM