Oct 18 2008
Really?
So I’m going to write about how annoyed I got this week at the students. Me and my classes were going to the library one day this week to research authors. I gave all the students the handout that they would need in class and told them that they would be completing the handout in the library. Well while we are in the library about half of the class comes up to me at different times and tells me that they don’t have a pencil. After about the third person I was getting really annoyed. I didn’t show my annoyance (what would be the point) and let the students go back to the classroom and get their pencils. So I was kinda scared that I got so annoyed from the kids. So I decided to ask my mentor teacher if it was normal to get irritated by the students. She said yes. Alright, that made me feel better. I felt uncomfortable with myself for becoming so annoyed. I was worried because I didn’t go into this job because I like kids. I went into this job so that I could give back to my community and all that other stuff. Basically, I was scared that I was a psycho and someday going to go crazy and tell a student to “shut up.” But since my mentor teacher said that she gets annoyed I feel better. In conclusion, I reminded all of my other classes that day that they will need a writing utensil in the lab. Amazingly, I had far less instances of pencil forgetfullness. Maybe I should have been annoyed at myself for not being clear enough. Sorry for using the word “annoyed” so many times I couldn’t think of another word to use.
Best,
Sara
2 responses so far
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Sara I loved your post. Annoyed is a nicer word that I have used to describe my emotions towards my students at times. I also completely empathized with your panic because I didn’t pick this career for a love of children either. Its so nice to hear other stories about teachers being human! And its definitely a learning experience to see what causes those frustrations and how to possible pre-empt those moments. I think the best teachers that I had were the ones that i knew where human, that I knew got mad and frustrated because thats a way that we knew they cared about us. They cared enough and expected enough to bother getting mad. It shows that we have expectations of our students…thats my take on it at least.
Sara, beautiful, calm Sara!
Anytime you have a deep feeling: joy, love, hatred, annoyance, grief (well, maybe not grief), well, those deep feelings are passionate feelings. It doesn’t need to be a positive feeling to be passionate. It needs to be deep. Okay, so getting annoyed at students for forgetting to bring a pencil sounds petty, but really, what it’s saying to me, is that you care so much for them, so much to take them to the library to research a good topic or authors or whatever, that for them to take away that time by being foolish and forgetting their writing utensil, well, cuts you deep. It’s a “crime of passion” to get upset with your students. You really want the best for them, and they don’t realize it, but when you get mad, or frustrated, or annoyed, well, it’s showing them (or just me) that you care. Really really. So, I definitely think that you are a fabulous teacher, and full of hope and promise and that you should never worry about your passionate feelings. You’re absolutely wonderful, Sara Storrer!
Oh, as an aside, my little friend who is sitting on my lap says: You can say the or you can say thee, but the way you spell it is T-H-E.
She’s five and very ready to learn…
Love you Sara! Vanessa