New Musings on Teaching...

"Some of us are called to be teachers. We really did not have a choice. There are many ways to be a teacher..." - Bob Sorenson, Ph.D. "Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach and Students Love to Learn" (isn't that truly the goal anyway?? :)

This statement intrigued me...I so often wonder, have I truly been called, or is it something that I just decided one day? I've been musing recently about this whole world of teaching, and what I've chosen to do with my life. Sometimes I'm not sure, sometimes I think it's perfect. But I've always had this deep rooted feeling, in someplace deep: some people call it your core, others your heart, your soul, I don't really know which it is...but I just don't "buy into" what these other people are doing sometimes. I've always had a hard time with the idea of rewarding kids for something that you expect them to do, like sitting in their chairs, etc.

There's always just been this piece of me that has really had a hard time with this. Point systems seem to do little, I've even often wondered what the point of the flip card charts are...which is something that everyone does, but I just have a hard time understanding what the point is.

All this to say that the counselor from Crater Elementary that used to be at Mabel Rush, emailed all of us to see if we wanted to take the Love and Logic course that she was teaching for free. I'm not really much of a joiner most of the time, but I've heard a lot about this, most specifically just by watching. Some people I know from college have the most well behaved children, not because they are perfect but because a high and loving standard are set for them. I've often asked what is it that makes these kids so fabulous and I've been answered with "we've been using Love and Logic, it really seems to work for them..." Enough said! So I thought, hey, why not? It's free right??

This course is blowing my mind, and making me laugh a lot! Turns out my parents are even more wonderful than I thought they were. They totally resonate with my gut feelings regardless of the program. I'm not saying by any means that this is the end all be all of everything, but I'm quite impressed by the theories. They seem sane to me and logical, and more than that, they feel right to me.

It's all about respecting the child, not getting into power struggles with them, loving them, trying to give them empathy, allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them now before the mistakes that they make have far graver consequences...it all seems so obvious. And it's the little things. Greeting your students at the door, leaving them at the door. Giving them hugs, dialoging with them, telling them that the next day will be better, etc. I've always striven to leave my kids at the door, but it never occurred to me to greet them at the door...I did it today and I can't tell you what a wonderful air it set over the classroom. So simple, who would have guessed.

I'm encouraged, enthused and rejuvenated. It was a release to be excused from getting angry. To be told not to get angry, to be excused from having an answer at the drop of a hat, and always having to have the right response right away. I'm refreshed that there are consequences available that make sense for the mistake, instead of arbitrary punishment...whose bright idea was it to hold kids in during recess? Really?? The kids that you're taking it away from are the ones who need it the most anyway! And humiliating kids in the middle of their classroom, there's a genius idea for breeding mutual respect and a free flow of ideas.

So with all this said, I'm excited...thank you Mom and Dad for giving me a foundation where things didn't "feel" right to me. You obviously set the stage for me to not be an overbearing tyrant, and to see the humor in the silliness of children, to love them through their mistakes and to take joy in their daily triumphs, be it learning to keep their hands out of their desks, reading sight words, or simply learning that they are smart and worth every effort that I have.