My first day at my teaching practicum was interesting, to say the least.
I got placed with a rowdy, loud, WONDERFUL, group of first-graders and couldn’t have been more excited to be there.
Apparently, Anna, (she’s an Aid for one of the autistic boys in our class, Ben) noticed my giddy, Christmas-morning-like enthusiasm and said, “Just keep smiling like that and you’ll make it out just fine”.
Either she hates her job or this class is going to kill me…slowly.
I’m happy to report that I did not die my first day nor do I show any signs of wanting to change my major as a soon-to-be-graduating senior.
In fact, my day mostly consisted of:
- Helping the students stay on task
- Answering funny questions the students had about me
- Making kids laugh without having to try very hard
- Tying about 50 different shoes
- Zipping 30 jackets slash repairing zippers
- Locating lost gloves
- Listening to a random boy that followed me around throughout all of his recess so he could tell me—in great detail—about how he’s going to grow up to kill zombies because, apparently, he does it every day after school.
- Saving another little boy from a paper cut that about ended the world as he knew it.
And I absolutely LOVED it.
However, there was a particular, brief conversation that I had at the end of the day that concerned me. While I was helping zip up Angie’s jacket, among the other 29 that day, she blurted—
“Mrs. Keller!”
“Yes, Miss Angie?”
“Arianna said that Justin Bieber only likes girls that are naked…”
For a split second, I just wanted to laugh since the first thoughts to pop in my mind were
- Girl, you can do better than THAT
- You don’t want any of that mess
But I noticed the legitimate distress in her eyes.
“Justin Bieber only likes girls that are naked.”
She actually believed that a popular, young, attractive boy would like her if she were naked.
Being my first day in the classroom (which is not my own) and fearing what lines I may be crossing by saying what I actually WANTED to say, I hastily replied, “Ew! Gross! Adrianna said that?! Next time she says something like that, tell her that’s inappropriate and not something you want to hear.”
She then gave me a smile that was hardly convincing and headed out the door, still obviously concerned.
I came home that afternoon with a pit in my stomach.
6-year-old girls should not have to worry about having to get naked to get a boy to like them.
I wanted nothing more than to rewind that moment and say what was actually on my mind, no fears attached.
Since Hermione Granger still has my time turner, I’ll just tell you.
If you think the same way that this sweet little girl does—that you’ll only find love (or get someone to like you) by taking your clothes off—you couldn’t be more wrong for the following reasons:
- You are beautiful just the way you are. (Try and tell me you didn’t just sing that sentence) As cliché as it sounds, it’s absolutely true: you were created EXACTLY how you were meant to be. You don't need to take off your clothes to prove yourself--or anything for that matter.
- If a guy (or girl) has to see you naked before they “can really know for sure” if they love you (or like you) or not, they A) are probably a tool and B) definitely don’t know what love is.
- If a guy (or girl) is really only interested in people who will show them their goodies, chances are they’re not that picky anyways, which says a heck of a lot more about THEM than it does about YOU. Trust me, you’ve got MUCH better things to do than to hang around people like that.
- There's a plethora of couples, including my husband and I, who are walking, talking, breathing examples that a happy, successful marriage can be founded on a relationship that does not experience sexual relations—including taking sneak peeks—before marriage. And yes, it was TOTALLY worth it.
- Justin Bieber. Need I say more?
It wasn’t until that very moment with that sweet, tender, broken little girl that I realized how difficult, heart wrenching, and complicated teaching is going to be.
Throughout my Bachelor-seeking adventures within the Elementary Education Program, I have been instructed time and time again to go above and beyond, to re-define education, go against the grain, and most importantly, protect myself from potential lawsuits.
My goals as a teacher don’t simply consist of phrases like, “go above and beyond”, “re-define education” or “go-against the grain”. I want to do SO much more than that.
As an educator, some of the things I wish to accomplish include the following:
- Help my students develop a love for LEARNING, not necessarily a love for school.
- Teach my students what it means to look beyond themselves and WONDER; ask questions, take risks, find what interests them, create goals, reflect, and so much more
- Show my students through my words and actions what it really means to say, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you” and teach them to do the same.
- Demonstrate love and gratitude for each of my students—especially those who receive none at home
- Provide a safe and uplifting classroom environment in which my students can feel free to be themselves as they grow mentally, physically, emotionally and socially.
- Challenge my students to keep improving and always do their best
- Invite my students challenge themselves to find ways to beat their best
- Prepare my students to be good citizens that contribute positively to society
- Develop an open line of communication between my student’s parents and myself so we can work together as a team to find new ways to meet their child’s individual needs and to encourage parental support and participation in their child’s education.
How the heck am I supposed to accomplish this small and simple list--along with everything else that I want to accomplish--as a FUTURE teacher when I’m already worried about losing my not-job because of a response I’m about to give to a 6-year-old girl who thinks boys like JB will only like her if she peels off her Hello-Kitty shirt, Old Navy jeans, light-up Sketchers, and Princess undies?
Well, you give political correctness the middle finger, that’s how.
Even though I can’t change the way politics blankets our educational system over night, I can choose to stick it to the man and focus on why I got into education in the first place:
the children.
These kids have so much more to worry about than their spelling tests, math homework, and meeting their AR reading goals. I know I can’t be their teacher AND their mother AND their super hero AND their knight in shining armor AND their protector AND everything else I want to be for them. But I can work hard, get to know my students individually, share my love of learning, and do everything in my power to ensure that the experience they have from the moment they enter my classroom until they return home is a positive, inviting, and a rewarding experience for them.
So, back to my important question: How the heck do you do it?
Well, from what I understand, you do exactly what the kids do:
- Try really, REALLY hard
- Make lots of mistakes
- Cry sometimes
- Get frustrated
- Celebrate the victories
- Become better each day
"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child."
~ Forest Witcraft
Note: The names used in this blog, besides my own, are not the actual names of any students in the classroom.
Love this. And you.
ReplyDelete<3 Right back atcha!
Delete