responsibilities
I just got asked to "coteach" a seminar spring term. Should I? I dunno. Would look good on resume and all that (and a stipend I've been promised - and copious chocolate), but I'll be pretty swamped already.
I just had a chat with an English teacher at the school who used to teach ELD, and she was talking about all the "problems" the English Learners have - the "social problems, language problems, academic problems" etc. and I was just like WTF?!
If you look and you only see problems, then maybe that's because that's all you're looking for. I know I call my kids the delinquents, but like today they were all pissed off because I've been gone a couple days and they said, "You're the only one who's nice to us!" and I said, "Well, then maybe you should be nicer to me," and they said, "We are! We treat you like a sister!"
And if I'm honest, that is the biggest problem that I have - kids are too comfortable with me. The attitude I get is not because they see me as an alienated outsider, it's because that's how they treat their peeps. That's why they almost all pass and do well, but it takes so much energy for me to keep it from spiraling out of control.
And it's not like I act like Flanders. I don't try to be cool or hip. I'm just myself. Who I am is a kid advocate, an opinionated maverick who will do what I believe is right. I will rant about Wal-Mart and racism if they get me started, but I will also hound them incessantly to get them to be successful. The other teachers give up on the kids who do so well for me. And yeah, my curriculum is a little easier, but not that much. I just don't let up. Three different teachers were complaining today about kids who sit there not doing anything and I was wondering why, so I confronted the kids. "She doesn't explain it." "I don't understand it." Etc. Which does sound like bullshit, but then I remembered these are kids who didn't understand when they first started with me, and now are thriving.
Sometimes kids really don't understand and they really do need some extra help. Sometimes they're sitting there and that's really the reason. I've learned that over and over - if I yell at a kid who isn't working, usually that works less well (unless it's Roberto) than saying, "Como puedo ayudarte?" and helping them get a running start up the hill. Or seating them together so they help each other.
I really don't want to teach next year, but I worry what will happen with my kids.
I just had a chat with an English teacher at the school who used to teach ELD, and she was talking about all the "problems" the English Learners have - the "social problems, language problems, academic problems" etc. and I was just like WTF?!
If you look and you only see problems, then maybe that's because that's all you're looking for. I know I call my kids the delinquents, but like today they were all pissed off because I've been gone a couple days and they said, "You're the only one who's nice to us!" and I said, "Well, then maybe you should be nicer to me," and they said, "We are! We treat you like a sister!"
And if I'm honest, that is the biggest problem that I have - kids are too comfortable with me. The attitude I get is not because they see me as an alienated outsider, it's because that's how they treat their peeps. That's why they almost all pass and do well, but it takes so much energy for me to keep it from spiraling out of control.
And it's not like I act like Flanders. I don't try to be cool or hip. I'm just myself. Who I am is a kid advocate, an opinionated maverick who will do what I believe is right. I will rant about Wal-Mart and racism if they get me started, but I will also hound them incessantly to get them to be successful. The other teachers give up on the kids who do so well for me. And yeah, my curriculum is a little easier, but not that much. I just don't let up. Three different teachers were complaining today about kids who sit there not doing anything and I was wondering why, so I confronted the kids. "She doesn't explain it." "I don't understand it." Etc. Which does sound like bullshit, but then I remembered these are kids who didn't understand when they first started with me, and now are thriving.
Sometimes kids really don't understand and they really do need some extra help. Sometimes they're sitting there and that's really the reason. I've learned that over and over - if I yell at a kid who isn't working, usually that works less well (unless it's Roberto) than saying, "Como puedo ayudarte?" and helping them get a running start up the hill. Or seating them together so they help each other.
I really don't want to teach next year, but I worry what will happen with my kids.
posted by NOLA at 2:29 PM
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