The last two weeks have been busy, to say the very least. I’m beginning to learn just how hard public school teachers work and what they are up against. This past week, I have been fighting a cold and a pesky stomach ailment. As a result, I have instituted a rule I began at the start of my second semester teaching university students. My HS students, like my college students, spend most of their days in close proximity of each other and pass around germs like candy. From now on, my students are not allowed to come within arms length of me. As I explained to them, it isn’t because I don’t love them; it is for my own personal sanity. I cannot live through many more weeks filled with sneezing, coughing, and frequent bathroom breaks.
Aside from the week from hell, I still love my students. I have learned all of their names! This isn’t an easy task when you have 150 students who love it when you remember everything they share about their lives in their daily journals and who drop by after school just to chat.
On Thursday of last week I had my very first tutoring hour with a few of my “emo” students. For those of you who are not familiar, emo students are misunderstood, loners who think, at times, the world is out to get them. They dress mostly in black, don’t have many friends, and LOVE to hang out with their teachers. “Emo” stands for emotional, which is one very good description for them. But, then again, what HS student isn’t emotional?
to be continued...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
the Hands length rule is similar to the rule my dad enforced when I began dating many years ago.
For "emo," please reference such bands as Sunny Day Real Estate, early Alkaline Trio, and early Death Cab for Cutie.
Katie, it should have read "arms length." I think anything less that a hand would be cause for major concern.
Thanks Vincent! Although, I'm not sure I want to encourage these "emo" kids to begin chatting with me about their musical interest. I would never get anything done at school.
The coughing and sniffles I can understand, but stomach ailments? You haven't been licking your students' papers again, have you, hmn?
I've been tempted... Thanks for teaching me that trick Grim. Nothin' like a hearty lick to seperate the good from the bad! ;-)
Post a Comment