I wish I could of put a camera on myself so
everyone could take part of the experience I faced as my first semester of
being a teacher. I don't think people outside of the field get it… teaching is
one heck of a profession {Can I get an AMEN?!}. I under estimated the amount of
energy and work it took to be a "real" teacher… Mind you, I had years
of practicum experience and student teaching…it's absolutely not the same!
The exhaustion for putting ever ounce of your mind,
heart, and body into what you are doing is killer.
Throughout my first five months of teaching I have
been broken a part as a person, and put back together again. I cried a
lot in the five months…. Heck, I cried more in one week, than in an entire
year! Not to sound like wimp, but I was given a challenging class (no that's
not to sound like a complainer either). I think I've seen every possible
misbehavior in the 5 months, than most…. You'd be a surprised what a first
grader is capable of.
I have had six year olds curse, throw chairs, punch
one another, tell me I am stupid, kick me, break my items on purpose…. and
more. But at the end of the five months, all I have to say is, thank you.
Thanks to my students, I have grown as an educator
and as a person. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go of your ego {In
Frozen terms, "LET IT GO! LET IT GO!}. I had to put my ego aside, and
think of what was best for my students, and with that I had to ask for help. My
amazing staff understood what I was facing, and supported me fully through the
growing pains.
After asking for help things have gotten better. I
stopped questioning if education was really for me, and started to realize this
is exactly where I need to be. I stopped getting a stomachache coming to school
from the nerves of "what will happen to me today". I stopped crying,
which is great because it's not my thing.
I started seeing improvements in my relationships
with my students, and the relationships between the children. I started to
experience small victories for each student academically. I started to realize
that teaching in itself is a mission. I started to feel like I was making a
difference.
Overall, I am so GRATEFUL for the challenging
semester. Throughout every challenge there is something to learn.
Any-who… It would be impossible to share my full
first year experience as a teacher in a blog post…. If you'd like to grab a cup
of coffee I'd love to share or answer questions! As for now, I share my wishes
for my students…
Wishes as a Teacher
1. I wish I could save every child.
Through this experience my heart has been broken
and exposed to the reality of the young generation lives'. My students are only
6 and 7 years old and they know the harsh reality of life far too well. I wish
I could save them from feeling hungry, hurt, or unloved. Some of things I hear
my students say to one another or to myself breaks my heart. If I could put a
magical orb around them all from the pain and the ugliness of the world I
would!
2. I wish they knew the amount of love that I
have for each and everyone of them.
I found myself buying pencils, art supplies, and etc.
out of my own pocket…something I knew that was going to happen when I became a
teacher. However, when you find yourself knowing how much your students love
Frozen, so you decide to buy the Frozen pencils that cost $1 more, you'll do it
to just to see the smiles on their faces.
There is always that one student, who is naughty,
and you have to tell them to move their clip down on the behavior chart…but you
still find yourself being their biggest cheerleader to turn their day around.
Or just simply giving each student a hug… I wish my
students knew when I said goodbye with high five or a hug that they knew I was
proud of them, and that I look forward to see them the next day. I would
completely crumble into a million little pieces if something awful happened to
my students. My role in their life is more than a teacher…it is a role model,
and another person who can nurture them. Unfortunately, not all students
receive the love they need. I wish they knew the amount of love I poor on them
daily, even when it's a rough day, or even if they refuse being loved by me.
3. I wish I could give students the confidence
they deserve.
One of the hardest things about teaching is giving
students the motivation to learn when they have given up on themselves. How
could a six year old know they are "dumb"?! Who puts that in their
brain? Quite honestly how could a six year old be dumb? They are STILL
learning!!! I wish they knew that they could do anything they put their mind to.
They CAN read, they CAN solve math problems. I had a lot of students who
would shut down in a specific subject just because someone told them they
couldn't read, or they were teased on their answer in math. My students were so
afraid to get the answers wrong, that they wouldn't try. It's hard to see the
lack of motivation at such a young age. I know my students are all smarties in
their own way!
4. I wish had all the patience in the world, for
each student….no matter how hard the day is.
I'm not saying I do not have patience…but when you
have 25 six year olds to take care of for 8 hours (Some days without a break)….
you get a little frazzled and your patience begins to grow weak (especially if
you're not having a good day yourself). Some days I find myself thinking…was I
too mean to them? I wish I had all the time in the world to fulfill their
needs, answer all of their questions, and listen to all of their little
stories. I wish I could listen to all tattle, because I know there is something
about that tattle that is bugging them…even when we find ourselves as teachers saying,
"Is it a tattle? If so, give them a "bug" and a
"wish". Unfortunately we are all human, and we have stress of all the
requirements it takes of being a teacher… and sometimes that makes our patience
weak.
5. I wish they knew how unique they are.
As teachers, you can normally pick up a paper with
no name and know which student it belongs to based off their handwriting, or
what they are writing about. Yep, I know that "Bob" always writes his
S's backwards no matter how often I remind him. Yep, I know this paper is
"Sally's" because I saw a horse drawn on it, with the same purple
crayon she uses on all of her drawings.
I know that when I pass out construction paper that
so and so will demand to have the yellow paper, or a tantrum will go down in
five seconds.
I know that "Billy-Bob” will always make me
laugh with his silly comments and gestures.
And because of their unique quirks, they all have a
special place in my heart.
6. I wish I were rich.
Of course teaching doesn't pay well… Honestly if
you just gave me a penny for each time someone told me that, then I would be
rich.
I don't want the money to buy a fancy new car or
all the materialistic items (okay secretly I want a car, but I am not motivated
by money…nor would I pick out a fancy car).
I would love to have the money to buy each my
students items they needed. I have seen students come to school with stained
and ripped uniforms because they can't afford to buy new clothes. Shoot! I just
wish I had the money to buy them a stinkn' eraser or a huge pile of tissues!
Money is tight as a teacher. I'm constantly
looking for donations, or finding things to make with stuff I have to make a
more successful learning environment.
I'd say over half of the money I earn, I put back
into my classroom. I would be lying to you if I said I can successful walk
through target without buying them something in the dollar section…. It's a
trap! And if you say, "You can write it off on your taxes." Well let
me tell you, you can all write off a couple hundred dollars worth…and if you're
a teacher, you'd know a couple of hundred dollars doesn't get you much for 25
kiddos.
I just want my students to have all the resources
of a successful learning environment!!!
7. I wish I could make everything
"fun".
No matter how hard I try, I can't make every lesson
fun. With the state requirements, and the push to meet test scores… You don't
always have the time to make a game on the content you're teaching.
I wish there wasn't this must pressure on scores in
education. I get why we do it… we have to be accountable of our teaching… but
overall, students would achieve more victories if they had fun learning the
content, and they would want to learn.
I wish my students knew that I try to be a fun
teacher when possible! Heck, I have embarrassed myself singing and dancing in
and out of the classroom just to see them smile, and hear them laugh.
I want them to look forward to coming to school.
8. I wish I could help more.
I wish I could solve each
student's weaknesses, and make it their strength. I wish I could say that I
have a full class of high level readers and mathematicians… but that’s not
real.
It's a challenge to teach a child how to read.
Honestly, the English language doesn't make sense…
I wish I found a tool that worked for every child,
but as educators we know that all students are all so different. There are
methods out there that we never even experienced, seen, or heard of that could
benefit a student…and sometimes it takes years to hear it through the
grapevine.
If I could sit on my students' shoulders and sound
out all the words to them, I would. I wish I could be by each of them as they
solve a tricky word problem.
I wish I could find the root of the student's
struggle right away, so they can be more successful.
9. I wish my students liked me as their
teacher.
I know it sounds silly and far-fetched. Some
educators want their students to tremble in their seats with the sound of their
name… I mean, that's awesome classroom management if you're into that.
Of course I am stern and real with my kids. It's
not always rainbows and butterflies in my class {most days aren't}. Sometimes I
have a kid who has to move their clip to red by the end of the day… and they
hate me for hours or the entire day because of that… and I hate that feeling
for ruining someone's day.
But honestly, I just want my students to respect me
the way I respect them. I know, I know… I'm in the wrong profession for that.
Teachers are most likely to put their feelings on the back burner, because it's
all about the student's feelings and their success…. not me, and I get that.
But by defense, I'd love for my students to walk out of my class and
think, "Miss Short is pretty cool". I would love for them to want to
come to my class because they feel safe and supported.
10. I wish my students knew I prayed for
them.
I pray for them to have a safe night, weekend, and
summer. I pray that they do not struggle in home or school situations. I pray
for a happy future for each and every one of them.
As educators we are not allowed to bring religion
into the field… it's a huge no-no! It's hard when I know for the fact I was
given these students, because God knew we were going to grow from one
another.
Even though I am unable to confess my faith to my
students, it has been the solid foundation of what I teach. I teach my students
to love one another, be the good in the world, and know things will get
better.
In the beginning of the year I put a magnet on my
class door that says," Never, never, never give up." Personally it
was something to remind myself as I faced hard days. But my kids began to
notice it and used it as a support system to one another. One of my favorite
things a student said in my class was, "Remember we never give up in Miss
Short's class, you can do it!".
I firmly believe we are in this world to support each
other. When you begin to have a group of students who are being the good, just
because you consistently teach them what a good person looks like… I think I
served part of my mission on this earth.
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I will miss my very first set of kiddos. It has been a roller coaster, but I am completely grateful for the ride!
I will miss my very first set of kiddos. It has been a roller coaster, but I am completely grateful for the ride!
I wish the best of luck in their next school year! <3