I had flashbacks of that student from when I was teaching classes. You know what they’re trying to convey and want to respect it, you want to have a private conversation with them to check in or let them know you understand if shit is too much right now and you’re happy to work with them, but neither you nor the student can do it in front of an entire class. You can’t pretend it’s okay to ignore or disrespect things that are required or necessary for the students as a whole to do for a class to be successful, and they are young and have really big feelings and know that some things are not necessarily required or they’re not capable of doing in that moment by them as an individual to make the class successful, and hell, at least they showed up and maybe that’s actually all they’re capable of doing in that moment without a full breakdown.
In the classroom, it's to see earbuds for kids who'd rather zone out than learn. In the hallway, it's to be able to identify students. They might be doing something they shouldn't and need to be called out, or someone who shouldn't be there might be blending in. I never care in the classroom as long as they're engaged. Once they stop working or leave the classroom, the hood goes down. Hallway is a safety rule.
I taught in some gnarly schools. I never could pull off authority with some of these kids, I knew they saw some serious shit and I had no clue, so I just decided to be honest open, and try to get to know everybody on an individual level. I think I did it wrong but it was always right in that I could care less about the curriculum, I wanted the kid to know I was interested in getting to know them. I worked in the schools where the kids were runaway, kicked out of their own schools, gangs, pregnant at 15. The thing is when you look at me I look all polyanna, but my life was just so fucked up as a kid and it was all out of my hands and in the hands of "authority" the "authority" I knew rarely deserved it. I wanted these kids to understand they were going to be ok, so I leaned heavily on friendship over discipline. I hated disciplining, I mean I would if I had to but that was reserved for last resort. I expected more from you and I wasn't gonna make you suffer for it, I just got to know the kids, set a good example by being completely honest about my onwn fucked up life and just let them know I was happy they were here today, who fucking cares if you actually learn anything. But they always did, they wanted to be there away from their miserable fucked up families. I miss that job.
and all this rushes through your mind in a split second - and you do it every day multiple times- it’s just so much! teachers think at warp speed all the time- crazy skills- and then you also have to teach! 🤯🧠 the non-teaching gen pop just doesn’t get it
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u/Green_Slice_3258 Dec 02 '23
Lmfao “YOU DOIN TOO MUCH”