Why did I call this blog The Teaching Curve? Because every other pun on the words "teaching," "learning," "class," or "school," is even more unoriginal, and calling my blog Nice White Lady seemed too irreverent. But also, the title is supposed to reflect the idea that teaching is something you improve at over time.* It's a made-not-born thing. In other words:
You will suck at this at first. For a while, actually.
I am lucky to be at a school that takes the job of developing new teachers very seriously. But that doesn't mean I can't still find countless ways to be terrible on a daily basis. I watch videos of myself teaching, and it's just thirty minutes of me thinking "what am I doing with my hands?!" (weird signals that mean nothing to my students) and "what is Jon doing with his hands?!" (some sort of dubstep? Certainly not simplifying this fraction). I recently made two kids cry in a Lunchables-related altercation that I don't even want to get into. I am not being self-deprecating. New teachers should look incompetent next to their veteran colleagues--that's how we know the more senior teachers have made progress.** That's what gives us role models. Still, some days, at the end of the day, my feeling is... I just want to be good at this already!
I asked a couple of teachers who have several years on me when that feeling ends. They laughed: "Never." I have heard rumors that it gets easier after year ten.
So, we savor the small successes. For example: this morning I defeated the robot! (Wait, what? It's not healthy to conceptualize teaching as a daily battle between yourself and cyborg-children?) Mitzie and two other first graders were using their sporks as airplanes, catapults, and airplane-catapults. I may be a novice teacher but I know a corneal abrasion threat when I see one. I positive-framingly encouraged them to think about how mature first graders behave. Without missing a beat, Mitzie responded: "I'm sorry. I will make smarter choices." (Yes, verbatim.) Ding ding ding!
Also, the student of mine who hated me most last year (so, obviously, the student I've stayed closest to this year--if this theme is not familiar, you clearly did not watch the video linked under "Nice White Lady") recently admitted that I have swag. This is true.
I will leave you with a fun fact I just learned (taught) in social studies: Did you know that America's original penny, designed by Benjamin Franklin, was imprinted with the phrase "MIND YOUR BUSINESS"? This is hilarious to fifth graders and their novice teachers alike.
*Calm down, fellow social science majors: I know this is not an accurate match for what the graph of a learning curve represents. But seriously, it was this or "Teachers Have Class!"
**Someone please teach me how to type an em-dash on Blogger.
You will suck at this at first. For a while, actually.
I am lucky to be at a school that takes the job of developing new teachers very seriously. But that doesn't mean I can't still find countless ways to be terrible on a daily basis. I watch videos of myself teaching, and it's just thirty minutes of me thinking "what am I doing with my hands?!" (weird signals that mean nothing to my students) and "what is Jon doing with his hands?!" (some sort of dubstep? Certainly not simplifying this fraction). I recently made two kids cry in a Lunchables-related altercation that I don't even want to get into. I am not being self-deprecating. New teachers should look incompetent next to their veteran colleagues--that's how we know the more senior teachers have made progress.** That's what gives us role models. Still, some days, at the end of the day, my feeling is... I just want to be good at this already!
I asked a couple of teachers who have several years on me when that feeling ends. They laughed: "Never." I have heard rumors that it gets easier after year ten.
So, we savor the small successes. For example: this morning I defeated the robot! (Wait, what? It's not healthy to conceptualize teaching as a daily battle between yourself and cyborg-children?) Mitzie and two other first graders were using their sporks as airplanes, catapults, and airplane-catapults. I may be a novice teacher but I know a corneal abrasion threat when I see one. I positive-framingly encouraged them to think about how mature first graders behave. Without missing a beat, Mitzie responded: "I'm sorry. I will make smarter choices." (Yes, verbatim.) Ding ding ding!
Also, the student of mine who hated me most last year (so, obviously, the student I've stayed closest to this year--if this theme is not familiar, you clearly did not watch the video linked under "Nice White Lady") recently admitted that I have swag. This is true.
I will leave you with a fun fact I just learned (taught) in social studies: Did you know that America's original penny, designed by Benjamin Franklin, was imprinted with the phrase "MIND YOUR BUSINESS"? This is hilarious to fifth graders and their novice teachers alike.
*Calm down, fellow social science majors: I know this is not an accurate match for what the graph of a learning curve represents. But seriously, it was this or "Teachers Have Class!"
**Someone please teach me how to type an em-dash on Blogger.
As a fellow new teacher I immediately respond to this with a head shaking "so true!" I have not yet watched myself on tape (do people still say tape?), but have admittedly not found the time to video tape out of fear! I've also heard the ten year rumor... At least they keep us on our toes? One book I've read--along with other numerous sources--of the cheesy but appropriate title Courage to Teach claims that the first day will always be a battle of nerves. I love your blog and am right there with you. I can't fully imagine what it's like to teach elementary school, but I do get glimpses of the amount classroom management skills it takes when my high schoolers are being particularly crazy.
ReplyDelete*Also, I have been searching for a way to successfully make an em-dash on blogger and now wordpress for two years and am convinced it is impossible. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.