My Students Need.....
I feel like my role in meeting these needs is everything. When I look at this list these are all things I need too. The more I look at this list, too, it's interesting to me the order in which I put the needs. As I started out I was thinking of my stressors from the day, lazy kids who do nothing but slack off all hour or talk to their friends and get nothing done ( I even had already planned in my brain that my last bullet was going to be "to sit down", but by the end of the list my mindset had completely changed). But as I racked my brain I began to think of the things they really need. The things that will make them better people ( in my opinion.... I severely need help in the discipline and self motivation areas, but I like to think of myself as a patient, loving person and thus a "good" person).
I though about the things that I do that make students smile, like telling them that they are "super amazing awesome" and high fives, encouragement that they might not get any other time of the day from an authority figure.
One thing my future mother-in-law (third grade teacher for many years, worked on the South side of Chicago and in Appalachia country in Kentucky) has told many times when I tell her how terrible of a job I'm doing for them, is that showing up everyday shows them you care. She says just being there consistently really does mean a lot to the kids even if they don't express it or even consciously know that. I am really proud of myself that I have missed 0 days of school this year. Perfect attendance. I have never had perfect attendance in anything. Grade school, girl scouts, middle school, high school, college, graduate school. But I have been there every single day for those 148 brats I love to complain about. For the job I love to hate on, the administration I love to bitch about, the school district I have cursed a thousand times. I have shown up everyday. Those things do not add up. I have definitely had my share of tummy aches on Sunday nights and snoozes until 7:30 am, but I have never been able to call in. There have been countless evenings I stayed late to make sure everything was "sub ready" for the next day and so many wasted alarms set for 5:45 am to get my "I'm sick." text in on time to the assistant principal. I show up. I must like it.... right?
I like that I ended with education, because ultimately that is what I am there for, right? To give the children an education. To teach them. That is my responsibility. I meet their needs by teaching them. But I do that by more than just repeating "HETERO!DIFFERENT!HOMO!SAME!" at least a thousand times. I teach them by writing them notes with they have had a good or bad day. I teach them by always admitting when I make mistakes. I give them trash bags to keep their hair and Jays dry when a flash rainstorm happens at the end of the day. I teach by letting them now they are worthy. They are worthy of good things by just being themselves. That by working hard they can achieve great things. I want my students to know that. I want my students to know it is normal for someone to care about them and for them to care about someone else.
- Discipline
- Self motivation
- Mentoring
- Love
- Patience
- Kindness
- Encouragement
- Stability
- Support
- Education
I feel like my role in meeting these needs is everything. When I look at this list these are all things I need too. The more I look at this list, too, it's interesting to me the order in which I put the needs. As I started out I was thinking of my stressors from the day, lazy kids who do nothing but slack off all hour or talk to their friends and get nothing done ( I even had already planned in my brain that my last bullet was going to be "to sit down", but by the end of the list my mindset had completely changed). But as I racked my brain I began to think of the things they really need. The things that will make them better people ( in my opinion.... I severely need help in the discipline and self motivation areas, but I like to think of myself as a patient, loving person and thus a "good" person).
I though about the things that I do that make students smile, like telling them that they are "super amazing awesome" and high fives, encouragement that they might not get any other time of the day from an authority figure.
One thing my future mother-in-law (third grade teacher for many years, worked on the South side of Chicago and in Appalachia country in Kentucky) has told many times when I tell her how terrible of a job I'm doing for them, is that showing up everyday shows them you care. She says just being there consistently really does mean a lot to the kids even if they don't express it or even consciously know that. I am really proud of myself that I have missed 0 days of school this year. Perfect attendance. I have never had perfect attendance in anything. Grade school, girl scouts, middle school, high school, college, graduate school. But I have been there every single day for those 148 brats I love to complain about. For the job I love to hate on, the administration I love to bitch about, the school district I have cursed a thousand times. I have shown up everyday. Those things do not add up. I have definitely had my share of tummy aches on Sunday nights and snoozes until 7:30 am, but I have never been able to call in. There have been countless evenings I stayed late to make sure everything was "sub ready" for the next day and so many wasted alarms set for 5:45 am to get my "I'm sick." text in on time to the assistant principal. I show up. I must like it.... right?
I like that I ended with education, because ultimately that is what I am there for, right? To give the children an education. To teach them. That is my responsibility. I meet their needs by teaching them. But I do that by more than just repeating "HETERO!DIFFERENT!HOMO!SAME!" at least a thousand times. I teach them by writing them notes with they have had a good or bad day. I teach them by always admitting when I make mistakes. I give them trash bags to keep their hair and Jays dry when a flash rainstorm happens at the end of the day. I teach by letting them now they are worthy. They are worthy of good things by just being themselves. That by working hard they can achieve great things. I want my students to know that. I want my students to know it is normal for someone to care about them and for them to care about someone else.