This post is a downer. Just PS.
So the most exhausting thing about teaching high school is the constant power struggle. There I am, cute and smart and young and female, clashing constantly with boys who are probably very nice but also seem hell-bent on reminding me that I'm not in charge of them.
I know that antagonism shouldn't be part of teaching. I try and remind kids of that every day, that I'm there to help and guide, not to fight or correct or whatever. Antagonism is not conducive to teaching, but.
I warned against plagiarism. It's dumb. It's a bad idea. Whatever. I let them know how easy it is to search online and find it out. And then I get sentences like this: "The Greek pantheon is the group of gods that are in charge of all the main principals of matter." or "They believed in an afterlife and a proper burial using time-honored rituals." My teacher sense starts freaking out. Main principals of matter (misspelling notwithstanding)? Time-honored (correctly hyphenated)? You've got to be kidding me.
Ok, but the antagonism is already set up. I've already approached this kid. I already made a big deal about plagiarism. So anything I say is inherently accusatory. Why do I have to fight this fight? (Because they're paying me to and because I feel somehow bound, honor-bound, whatever, to help these kids.)
I'm just trying to help, stop picking on me!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Arm Wrestling
Posted by Kjerstin Evans Ballard at 9:34 PM
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4 comments:
Keep helping. Keep helping.
It's good for you.
It's better for them.
Some of the most significant teaching moments (at least for me, as a student) have come in times of correction.
You're doing just great. :)
I'm sorry, and I hear you :(
Good luck! Keep going! Everyone's rooting for you--the rest of us teachers, parents, the kids' future selves.
My friend Erin teaches out here at a community college and has had some CRAZY experiences with plaigerism lately. Did I mention she teaches at a COLLEGE? So I hope you keep fighting the good fight, even if only for Erin's sake, so that these kids don't try to pull the same shinanigans in college one day...not that that makes it any easier.
The authority figure/friend thing is such a difficult thing to navigate--at least it's bound to improve your parenting skills, right?
I used to wonder if the entire teaching culture at my old school had been changed for the worse by so many cheating incidents, which the teachers didn't know how to deal with (it was a teacher training school, so by definition we were almost all young in teaching). The most common response seemed to be to mistrust all students just a little, which I personally think is awful but don't know what better to offer.
I DO know that caring enough to confront the kid will make a positive difference in his life, though. I also know that fact from experience as a student.
My best guess is that you are way better than you think you are.
Keep it up! You can do it!
I wish that I could think of something more encouraging to say. For me, talking to my mom always helps because she has utter faith in me as a teacher. You can call her if you want--I'm sure she wouldn't mind--dunno if that would be too weird for you, though. I, by the way, have utter faith in YOU as a teacher, and think it would be a crying shame if you were allowed to wander around all discouraged because one of the most discouraging teaching situations of all time has recently tripped you up and you didn't know quite what to do about it. You really are quite good. I know whereof I speak. I have seen you teach, multiple times. So, keep it up! And have a cup of (herbal) tea and a scone or something. You deserve good things for being so good.
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