Find You First

It’s a really good day. As I find myself starting my final paper for this session of summer term, I’m thinking about how this day can’t get much better. I have a wonderful, happy, productive playlist in the background and I’m just typing to the beat! I also have my favorite juice with smoothie cubes (frozen smoothie that I froze overnight) in it and the sun decided to show its bright and beautiful face! I’m going to repeat it….

I’m going to talk about something that has recently come up in my class before it ended. O’Malley frequently said that we need to know ourselves before going into the classroom because the kids will see us right down to what we really are, regardless of how well we try to cover it up. Our biases will come out, our voice will shine through, and our personal beliefs will be reflected. On a deeper level that really is kind of an amazing thing that no matter what, we are honest on the most basic and unconscious level. Our brains really are amazing.

But hey, we all know that derpy teacher in high school that we could see RIGHT THROUGH the crap on the surface and inside we didn't like what we saw. It made you not want to be a part of the class, you had no motivation because maybe the teacher really didn't care or was overly insensitive without knowing it. WHATEVER THE CASE we have all had that teacher. That’s what I’m trying not to be here. I think I've mentioned previously that becoming an educator is about finding more about you just as much as it is teaching and helping students find out more about themselves… But to some extent, you really need to know a lot of the stuff about yourself that might slip out at ANY MOMENT! (That’s why they call it a Freudian Slip) You need to have all of the skeletons in your closet out, revealed, and aware. I’m not talking about to others - YOU need to be aware that these things are there. These things are real. And these things could make or break you. ESPECIALLY in today’s society and the way things are… You say one mis-worded and misinterpreted thing to the right student at the right time and you’re done. There are no second or third strikes! You’re out, baby!

Being in front of a class is terrifying enough, being responsible for 25-30 other adult’s children is stressful! So let the students know the real you, and do it right off the bat. Otherwise, to put it frankly, you’re frickin’ screwed. That doesn't mean you’re like, “Hi, I’m Ms. DelaBarre. I’m going to be you’re teacher for this school year. I like long walks on the beach, I have a pet betta named Captain Kirk, oh yeah and I am a very strong Republican that disagrees with pretty much all of the crap that comes out of our current leader’s mouths.” You don’t do that! You have to be subtle but aware that these are your beliefs and let the students know that the way you’re teaching has different approaches. For example, you might have a very religious student that refuses to believe that the Theory of Evolution is true. That’s perfectly okay! There are other beliefs out there. Here is where it’s also important that you don’t teach by the book. Because our large sibling states, Texas and Cali, have a lot of control over the books and what is and isn't published in them. Therefore, you can use suggestions from the books but in my opinion I would rather teach the kids in a way that is relevant to them (they will be more engaged), interesting or intriguing, and then understanding happens. Not just knowledge (spitting out facts), we have a greater understanding occurring.

For example, when learning about adolescence this session with O’Malley he gave us a short story called Red Dress by Alice Munro. We read it then answered questions that he had written out. But the point was that we all connected with the piece because it was relevant to each and every one of us in the class in one aspect or another. Teach the kids through literature in ways that they can relate. That’s the deepest and biggest connection that you can make with these kids. As O’Malley puts it, “The one thing that you can say to get these kids on board with you is say ‘yeah, I've been there. I know what that’s like.’ If you show them you have been there and understand, you can form the biggest connections with your students.”

Goodness, I already love my future job! SO MUCH POTENTIAL!

OH and before I go, here are photos of cute giraffes… Because it’s been a while.

Peace and Love.