Conversing with people is often extremely fruitful and productive. A friend of mine, after excavated my teacher-consciousness and quizzing me about what I was doing about what wasn't working in my classes, eloquently and appropriately concluded, "You can't rush these things." "These things" refers to my (ongoing, evolving, continuous) search for a classroom management balance. I don't want to desensitize my students with an overkill of punishments, to the point where consequences are as routine as grocery shopping and ordinary as ketchup - and in such an excess that chasing kids down for detention is enough to take away my evening peace completely. Nor do I want to 'be their friend' (oh! the Error of all first-year-teaching errors!) and let it all slide with only a string of several verbal warnings.(As a brief aside: How can I help but laugh when one of my class clown students is submerging his whole face in the marker bucket? It is hilarious...my strict, I'm-not-pleased teacher face unraveled in three seconds after seeing that.)
Here was another productive conversation I had this week, at the lunch table with one of my former nemeses (a bad-boy student, or could I dare say, an ex-bad-boy?). This student got two referrals from me earlier in the year for blatant insubordination and disrespect, and I was eager to get him off my hands. But after his schedule change discouraged him, and after a crucial turn-around in motivation occurred, which was catalyzed by an older teacher in my department (who has ever since inspired me by her example, of how a teacher can straighten a kid out through love instead of through fruitless and even unjust punishments), he has been a whole new young man. At lunch, I could hardly believe my ears or eyes as he: (a) sat nearby me (maybe only because there was nowhere else to sit), (b) talked to me when I asked about his siblings, even commenting when I said, "you have to be to your little brother what you didn't have for yourself," "yeah, I never thought of it that way"), and (c) told me how he affectionately (but still appropriately) calls Ms. W (the teacher who was the 'only one who believed in him' and sparked his miraculous and amazing turn-around) his "girl." This teacher (my coworker and current inspiration, from whom I learn so much simply by observing her actions) told him that I was fresh out of college, would discipline him by simply throwing him out of my class, and so all he had to do to get by was sit in his seat in the back, be quiet, listen and he would be fine. He added that Ms. W said, "you should like her class, she's funny, just sit back and watch her." "And she was right," ex-bad-boy said. "When you said 'aww, I am thhhhirsty!' II laughed to myself." SO -- so far, so good. Now he says "yes, ma'am" and "thank you," but now with a ring of enthusiasm, instead of contempt. WOW, this is a downright, straight-up (oxymoronic!) miracle! I am well-aware that there is a long road ahead where much can go awry, but I have high hopes, very high hopes for this student. Talk about a positive transformation.
One last important thing I must write about, pertaining to the balance of CM (classroom management): Last night I stumbled upon Galatians 4:17:
"The false teachers who are so anxious to win your favor are not doing it for your good."
Obviously, it's written in an entirely different context, but I think part of it applies to being a teacher-figure:; teachers are not there for their own self-edification! I am there to instill self-discipline and be the mediator who can give them a glimpse of how sweet achievement and accomplishment can be, and how knowledge can strengthen and deepen you. I know that sounds saccharine and ridiculously middle-classy. But I think it is the most (the only?) valuable gift I have to offer them.
Here was another productive conversation I had this week, at the lunch table with one of my former nemeses (a bad-boy student, or could I dare say, an ex-bad-boy?). This student got two referrals from me earlier in the year for blatant insubordination and disrespect, and I was eager to get him off my hands. But after his schedule change discouraged him, and after a crucial turn-around in motivation occurred, which was catalyzed by an older teacher in my department (who has ever since inspired me by her example, of how a teacher can straighten a kid out through love instead of through fruitless and even unjust punishments), he has been a whole new young man. At lunch, I could hardly believe my ears or eyes as he: (a) sat nearby me (maybe only because there was nowhere else to sit), (b) talked to me when I asked about his siblings, even commenting when I said, "you have to be to your little brother what you didn't have for yourself," "yeah, I never thought of it that way"), and (c) told me how he affectionately (but still appropriately) calls Ms. W (the teacher who was the 'only one who believed in him' and sparked his miraculous and amazing turn-around) his "girl." This teacher (my coworker and current inspiration, from whom I learn so much simply by observing her actions) told him that I was fresh out of college, would discipline him by simply throwing him out of my class, and so all he had to do to get by was sit in his seat in the back, be quiet, listen and he would be fine. He added that Ms. W said, "you should like her class, she's funny, just sit back and watch her." "And she was right," ex-bad-boy said. "When you said 'aww, I am thhhhirsty!' II laughed to myself." SO -- so far, so good. Now he says "yes, ma'am" and "thank you," but now with a ring of enthusiasm, instead of contempt. WOW, this is a downright, straight-up (oxymoronic!) miracle! I am well-aware that there is a long road ahead where much can go awry, but I have high hopes, very high hopes for this student. Talk about a positive transformation.
One last important thing I must write about, pertaining to the balance of CM (classroom management): Last night I stumbled upon Galatians 4:17:
"The false teachers who are so anxious to win your favor are not doing it for your good."
Obviously, it's written in an entirely different context, but I think part of it applies to being a teacher-figure:; teachers are not there for their own self-edification! I am there to instill self-discipline and be the mediator who can give them a glimpse of how sweet achievement and accomplishment can be, and how knowledge can strengthen and deepen you. I know that sounds saccharine and ridiculously middle-classy. But I think it is the most (the only?) valuable gift I have to offer them.
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