Today is the workday at the end of first quarter–a day marked by sounds of rustling papers and tapping pencils as teachers scramble to finish grading that last stack of overdue papers and enter grades into the computer before trudging off to do it all again the next quarter. Hopes are high that 2nd quarter will go more smoothly than the first. “I won’t get behind after I get caught up this time,” and “This quarter all of my units will be planned out in advance so my stress is minimal” are two of the lines I’ve found myself using often with family and friends as I reflect on the past few months and look forward to the coming ones. True or not, they are nice thoughts and good goals.
Usually this day of the quarter goes about the same…Hustle and bustle, ruffle and shuffle, breathe, sip coffee, repeat. But today, just moments ago, a student paper stopped me in my tracks. I had to pause and call my mom to cry for just a moment. Out of the mind and pen of a freshman in high school came a beautifully sad story that could not simply be added to the stack of work I systematically check off my to-do list.
The paper did not receive 100%. It had its shortcomings grammatically, after all. But it accomplished something much more. It showed me a little piece of one of the 120 souls that touch my life daily but rarely reveal themselves to me. It forced an automated, rubric-using, number-crunching machine-human into a moment of silence, a reflective period of thought.
I am grateful and sad and reminded of my reason for teaching and not at all stressed about reading the rest of these papers by 4:30…even if only for a moment. Bravo, young man, bravo!
How about when students make fun of you for something that you really dont want to change. Coming from a fellow teacher i have problems with my wardrobe and wanted your advice on what ot do about it. Should i listen to my students and change it or should i just be myself. Even though i know deep in my heart that they are right
I have multiple students that have said they would like to recommend me for “What Not to Wear.” I also have students that comment on days when I dress “normally,” “Ms. Couch, you look so nice today. Everything is matching. I don’t like it. Your style is missing.”
Personally, I really like my style. It changes with the seasons and my moods. Some days I love looking nice in a commercial sense of the word; others, I prefer to express my roots as an ASU mountaineer and dress in flowing skirts with non matching shoes and blouses. So I let the negative comments roll off and take to heart the kids who acknowledge my individuality and express preference for it.
I gues my answer is, it’s up to you. If you like what you’re wearing (and it’s not breaking any school rules), stick with it. If the students’ comments make you aware that subconsciously you too wish you would dress differently, then change your wardrobe. That takes money and time; I recommend buying a few nice basic pieces that you can mix and match at a time, building your new wardrobe gradually (assuming you’re on the tight teacher budget I am).
In my short years of experience, 90% of students appreciate and respect a teacher that’s comfortable in his/her own skin, even if they pick on you about it. So go with what makes you comfortable.