I know what you all are thinking "That new teacher guy has finally had the job catch up to him". Well, it's true, I am tired of school, but not where my job is concerned. Mostly with having to go to school and finish my credential just so the state can deem me an educator. A little piece of paper and suddenly I'm state-approved. Then what? Will I be lured over to the school district my parents surrender my childhood to? I don't know. I like the private school I teach at. I am allowed to step outside the box, take the curriculum at any pace, and challenge the kids beyond the parameters set forth by the state.
Furthermore, what some would call free time or non-academic time, usually end up becoming teaching moments. While my students love to play, we can usually find a lesson in everything they do.
"Mr. Josh, why are you always trying to teach us when we have free time?"
"Well, life is a learning process. If you want to know something new, what do you do?"
"Look it up or ask someone that knows."
"Exactly."
That simple conversation doesn't seem like much, but it has so much meaning. I hope that teachers have moments like this.
I had an opportunity last weekend to spend sometime at a casual get-together at a house some of my students were at. It was cool because I got to be on the students level. They had the opportunity to see me as a person and not just a teacher. I believe teacher's have become "to professional". They don't want their students to see them make a mistake. They want their students to think they are perfect. And, they are afraid to learn from them. My students once asked me a question I didn't know so we all looked it up. They found the answer before I did and the look of accomplishment on their faces was so worth it.
Anyhow, I think I've rambled to much. I hope you all are well as the School Year winds down.
**Please note the the keys on my aging computer often stick and more letters than necessary may end up in a word. While I do everything I can to remove the extra letters, I don't always catch all of them.**