the best parts of teaching
(Yeah, this is supposed to help me make it through until June 16, because getting up early to handle delinquents instead of reading the Comparative Education Review at my bedside - well, it's not my first choice.)
1. When a kid asks a question and really gets it when you help and thanks you.
2. When a kid asks another kid for help and that kid explains it well and the first thanks the second.
3. The last day of every month (payday!).
4. Fridays right after the last class on a 3-day weekend.
5. Being able to say "aight" and the kids know what you mean.
6. Deep critical discussions related to the content and their experiences.
7. Every kid doing an assignment without any protests or whines or refusals or stupid excuses - working together and helping each other so everyone is successful.
8. Every kid passing the class and learning what they were supposed to.
9. The kids finishing up an assignment early and chilling with 'em a few.
10. Letters and visits years later where they say how I helped 'em and believed in 'em when nobody else did and how that made a difference. (Especially strange when it's not kids I really focused on helping.)
11. An administrator who isn't a dumbass (have yet to experience that, but can dream).
12. Kids taking responsibility for themselves and their learning and their class.
13. Kicking ass on district and state tests. I love saying to my students, "Your scores were the best in the entire district - better than those snobby rich kids in that OTHER school who think they're all that - and you improved 71% since the beginning of the year."
14. A kid seeing something that needs to be taken care of in the classroom and just doing it because it's a community of responsible people.
15. A kid saying something in their life outside made them apply something learned in class, and they explained it to the others there. (Weird of this is kids and their parents emailing me to settle grammar disputes between them.)
16. Having a meeting with a kid and his/her parents and decisions being made - and that kid actually following through and moving past the rough spot to success and making positive new habits.
17. Learning new slang.
18. When we all like each other and feel comfortable enough to laugh a lot while getting all the work done.
19. Kids so eager to discuss a book that they fall out of their desk raising their hand so hard (Brandy M.).
20. Kids asking if I think they can do something and I say yes and they believe me and do accomplish it - especially if something they thought they couldn't do.
1. When a kid asks a question and really gets it when you help and thanks you.
2. When a kid asks another kid for help and that kid explains it well and the first thanks the second.
3. The last day of every month (payday!).
4. Fridays right after the last class on a 3-day weekend.
5. Being able to say "aight" and the kids know what you mean.
6. Deep critical discussions related to the content and their experiences.
7. Every kid doing an assignment without any protests or whines or refusals or stupid excuses - working together and helping each other so everyone is successful.
8. Every kid passing the class and learning what they were supposed to.
9. The kids finishing up an assignment early and chilling with 'em a few.
10. Letters and visits years later where they say how I helped 'em and believed in 'em when nobody else did and how that made a difference. (Especially strange when it's not kids I really focused on helping.)
11. An administrator who isn't a dumbass (have yet to experience that, but can dream).
12. Kids taking responsibility for themselves and their learning and their class.
13. Kicking ass on district and state tests. I love saying to my students, "Your scores were the best in the entire district - better than those snobby rich kids in that OTHER school who think they're all that - and you improved 71% since the beginning of the year."
14. A kid seeing something that needs to be taken care of in the classroom and just doing it because it's a community of responsible people.
15. A kid saying something in their life outside made them apply something learned in class, and they explained it to the others there. (Weird of this is kids and their parents emailing me to settle grammar disputes between them.)
16. Having a meeting with a kid and his/her parents and decisions being made - and that kid actually following through and moving past the rough spot to success and making positive new habits.
17. Learning new slang.
18. When we all like each other and feel comfortable enough to laugh a lot while getting all the work done.
19. Kids so eager to discuss a book that they fall out of their desk raising their hand so hard (Brandy M.).
20. Kids asking if I think they can do something and I say yes and they believe me and do accomplish it - especially if something they thought they couldn't do.
posted by NOLA at 6:55 AM
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