"You have to love children," if you want to succeed as a teacher.
I have heard this said in many different ways in the last few months, (even yesterday in mbradford's comment*,) but the first time I heard it, it drew me up short.
[* There is an interesting twist in that particular comment. Love is used as an active verb.]
I had not really thought about that at all until then - "Do I love children?"
I am not being flippant here, but I love Thai food. i.e. When I think of going out for dinner, I am inclined to think "Thai." Of course, I am game to try other cuisines, and I do enjoy others. But my default, without-further-thought, answer would be Thai.
So, if you dropped me into a regular school day, and asked me "Do you want to see some curriculum planning, or go to a conference, or grade some tests (no one I have met has ever liked that part), or create a website, or write a newsletter, or plan a field trip, or present to some parents?" Would I answer "I want to hang out with kids"?
I honestly don't know. That's a really tough one. I guess you only find out after you've tried it. But at 43 do I want to take five years to find that I don't? (Today someone told me that you know much sooner than that.)
I think that I am fairly cerebral. There are a lot of joys to be had hanging out with kids. But I don't think of "cerebral" among them.
Which reminds me of another topic that I hope to get back to later - "Are teachers loners?"
Tuesday 11/10
16 years ago
I don't actually think of myself as "loving children," any more than I love every adult that I meet. They are just as different and difficult. When we visit people I am not the adult who is great with kids and has them all playing a game with me while the other adults chat- I am one of the ones chatting. And I often find it hard to think of what to say to children when I am one-on-one, even my own daughter! But as a teacher, I love to see how my students grow, listen to their conversations, see what interesting things they choose to do with free time, see the learning take place. It is really exciting. I feel like a researcher, observing and gathering data, seeing what seems to work. And even though I look at the new faces on the first day of school and wonder if I will ever learn to like this group, much less love them, I know now that it always happens. Maybe it is like pulling for the protagonist in a movie or a novel- when you pour your energy into helping a person learn and grow, and you encourage them, and you see their small failures and their efforts, and their eventual success, you develop a strong affection for them. I wouldn't say you need to declare "I love children" to know you are ready to become a teacher. Just be open and hopeful that you will, and knowing you, Santosh, you will have no trouble making that connection with your students. And like me, you will treasure the occasional day to go to conferences and not be around children!
ReplyDeletenot cerebral... A child told me the other day that he has a look that will almost always make a parent do exactly what he wants them to do. "What's the look like?", I ask. "It's a combination of humble, happy and disappointed." Wow... he nailed that one. Perhaps a different kind of cerebral but it's had me in awe for a couple of weeks now!! I think that children sometimes provide more opportunities for big and deep thinking, it's just a matter of asking the right questions.
ReplyDeletemy two cents... from an obviously biased perspective!