Yep. I'm about at that point where I take stock of the students on my caseload and the learning expectations, and declare that I'm expected to make miracles happen. I mean, how else am I going to get 5 kindergartners and 3 first graders who are at least a year behind grade level up to speed?
It's easy to get overwhelmed - especially when you add all of the other pressures of teaching into the mix.
It's at times like these where I need to slow down and get back the right perspective. Twenty years down the road, my students are not going to remember if they mastered rhyming words in Kindergarten. They won't remember if they got all caught up by the end of the academic year.
But what they will remember? Me.
Was I the stressed out teacher who didn't have time to smile? The teacher who gave them an endless stream of worksheet packets? The teacher who often raised her voice in frustration?
Or was I the teacher who showed them I cared? Did I smile and laugh and slow down enough to follow their tangents sometimes? Did I go the extra mile to make a dry curriculum fun and engaging? Did I let them know they were loved?
I'm still striving to be the caring teacher, as overwhelmed as I feel sometimes!!
5 comments:
Wow! This is basically exactly what I was just telling myself. I had some slightly different reasons for my need to stop the stressed out ridiculousness, but the basic idea is the same. I made myself a promise I would smile - all the time if possible!
Oh gosh - so glad you recognized this and wrote it! What an inspiration for the thankless tasks that you must perform at times, no?
Definitely there are teachers I remember simply because of their kindness... and not a bit of what they actually taught me. Except that it was important to be kind :)
Great perspective!! Love you, Mom
I absolutely admire (nearly) all teachers. You people really are miracle workers and so many parents are extremely grateful for you! You'll do great!
I really like the pink poster. Hope it keeps you motivated! We need caring teachers like you.
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