Saturday, September 22, 2007
Well That's New
I've been teaching for a while. I've taught every age from kindergarten to 8th grade. I've had many, many challenging students and two whole classes that have made me reconsider my choice of careers. (Not to mention the parents!) But I've hung in there because I love teaching and most days the rewards far outweigh the trials. This is my third year teaching kindergarten. The reason I took the kindergarten job is because Josh was in kindergarten the first year and Adam was the second year. But this year it's just me and a bunch of other people's kids. (Except one who feels almost like mine.) And of course I love each one. How could I not. They are completely adorable. And I truly understand that their mommies love them just as much as I love my own boys. And so I try to treat them as I want Josh and Adam to be treated by others. But here's the trouble. Out of the 13 kids in my class, at least 6 of them have to be watched every second of every day. As soon as they're out of sight, they're in trouble. Yesterday is a prime example. I had hitting, arguing, and fibbing. Not all that unusual really. But I also had three things happen that have never happened to me in all my years of teaching. First, one of the boys colored all over my white board with a non-white board marker. Luckily I was quick to catch it and was able to wash it off. Then one of the girl's was chasing another girl around with a push pin from the bulletin board. What?!?! I'm still not sure what possessed her to do such a thing. Then, just in the nick of time, I caught one girl about to give herself a haircut. To this I responded, "I have taught kindergarten for two years without anyone cutting their hair. Do not mess up my record!!" (And then I took away her scissors for a week.) All this and it wasn't even a full moon. Each day I'm having to re-evaluate my management techniques and adapt them to rogue colorers, pin chasers, and hair cutters. So I have to ask myself two questions. What will happen on Monday? And how many days 'til June? :)
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3 comments:
Hey, I have an idea! I could register as a "new student" and come sit in on your class. In the guise of a fellow kindergartener, I'll make friends with all the troublemakers and then, when I have their trust, I'll lean on them to stop their permanent marker marking, tack chasing, hair cutting ways and to walk the straight and narrow. Kind of like Johnny Depp on "21 Jump Street". Whaddya think?
Never assume that students "know" that it is not ok to: sneak sticky tack from the back of your posters and wad it into balls to throw at each other; keep a collection of eraser shavings in their desks; name their scissors, treat them like a pet, and convert their lockers into a shrine for said pet scissors; approach the student council president with a proposal to overthrow the oppressive teaching staff; fill up a storm drain with pea gravel; ride any kind of wheeled vehicle down the wheel chair ramp; use an entire package of binder paper on origami during class time; use the three-dimensional geometric shapes and the slick tile floor as an air hockey game. I better stop now, but you get the point. And, no offense, Katrina,--don't you hate comments that start that way--but Johnny Depp could still pull off high school, but it has been awhile since you could pull off kindergarten.
Katrina, come on in. I'm sure you'd be a big help. And the next time you talk to Johnny, tell him to come, too!
Marci, it sounds like you should write a book. I love the pet scissors thing. I want to hear that story. And the wheeled vehicle down the ramp thing isn't just students. I have seen a teacher do that. Not naming any names but she still complains about her injury!
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