#290: My students

Nine weeks into the school year I am beginning to settle into life at my new job. What I have discovered about myself and my students:

• I am really an 8th grade girl at heart. Let me just say I wouldn't go back to junior high for all the money in the world, but so much of my personality makes sense around junior high-ers.
• They appreciate the really simple, fun things in life, such as "color of the day".
• They notice when today's "Number of the Day" is the same as yesterday's.
• They read about the Mathematician of the Day only to see when he/she died.
• They are super literal--my people.
• They do not understand sarcasm. Not only does this force me to not use it, but often I don't get it either.
• They sing along to the same music I like when I play it in the morning.
• I love that many of us live in the same neighborhood. One day I encountered a skunk smell on my ride to school and got to discuss it with the students who also ride their bikes from my part of town.
• They really want to learn.
• They make awesome designs with their goldfish.
• They are willing to play whatever corny game I come up with, and usually make it way better.
• They don't mind that I mess up a lot.
• Every day they let me start over.
• They always forgive.

I love them. I love teaching them.

Blessing #62: My changed attitude

Yesterday at work was...rough?  I didn't sleep very much on Sunday night and I had my annual formal evaluation then, too [yes, I chose that, I know!].  Let me just say that I was not in the running for teacher of the year based on how school went yesterday.

But last night I took A to B Calm (Magnesium supplement)  and went to bed really early--and slept!  No lying there for 2 hours wondering why I'm not asleep; no getting angrier and angrier as the minutes ticked on; no exhaustion the next day. 

I also asked God to run my day before I started today. 

What a different day!  I was full of patience and kindness toward my students.  Class after class was awesome!  I can't believe what a difference my perspective makes.  I apologized to two classes for being so cranky on Monday, and one kid said, "I knew it!"  This made me laugh.

Today I could see the good in my students.  I saw kids who are uncomfortable and insecure about their mathematical ability; who want to please me and feel successful in school; who want approval.

And this made all the difference.

Blessing #35: A relationship restored

Loving my job today!

I don't want to be very specific, but it goes generally like this:  a student was struggling in class who didn't used to struggle in class.  We talked it out, I made a few changes, we did class.  Afterwards the student thanked me and reported feeling really good about class and feeling successful.  Hurrah! 

Our relationship has been restored, but even better.  We were able to articulate our needs and adjust the way we did things.  I learned so much from this one incident: 

• how to work through a tough situation with a student;  
• that students really do want to learn and have a good idea of what they need to do so;  
• that my relationships with my students are super important to me and 
• that I can absolutely feel it when there is a disturbance in the force and that
• I should listen to that disturbance and root it out.

Encounters like this remind me that my job is so much more than teaching math; it is about relationships.