It was just an ordinary morning at work. About few minutes before the school bell rang, my staff approached me and told me… “That teacher is so mean!”
I was surprised by his remark then out of curiosity I asked him… “Why? What did she do?”
“She told the kid to sit, in a very mean way.” He replied.
“The kid might not be listening and had to tell him again in a more authoritative way.” I said.
“Well, she could have said it differently.” He said judgingly.
I laughed by his remarked and said… “When you become a teacher, you’ll see, you will lose it too.”
“No, I will be kind and nice and the best teacher ever and kids will love me because I will always be nice.” He replied very confidently.
I just laughed and said… “You don’t know what you are talking about. Trust me!”
“Wanna bet?” he snapped quickly so sure of himself.
FAST FORWARD: “Are you threatening me? Do you think I am scared of your mother?” Those were just some of the words that I clearly heard my [same] staff was saying this afternoon when one of the kids was arguing with him about “breaking the rules” issues. His face was so red and his voice was a little frustrated and perturbed. It was the first time I saw him so pissed off and the first time I heard him raised his voice.
He totally lost it!
I should have placed my bet! Darn!
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When I was “not” a teacher yet, I have these entire huge plans for my future dream career. I was able to picture in my mind the kind of teacher I will be and the kind of teacher I will not be so that kids will love me. I was all so consumed by my idealism that one day… I will change the world.
When I was a teacher, I came face to face with the reality of my [then] future dream career. I was able to find the hard truth of what kind of a teacher I am and the kind of teacher I am not. I was devastated by my own idealism and one day… I changed not the world but my personal perception in life.
When I was no longer a teacher, I still dream of an idealistic career that will change the world. Teaching is a noble profession and indeed the best venue to start making the difference. I am not saying that I totally lost my faith in my profession but rather. .. I learned that the world is not what you think it is so I changed my mind.
What I am saying now is that when I finally become a teacher I became more realistic than idealistic. Teaching truly brought out the best and the worst in me. It is the best time of my life when I fully comprehend the true meaning of compassion, patience, understanding, perseverance and humility. On the other hand, I realized that I too have weaknesses… that I am vulnerable and that there are things that I cannot change because it is what it is. My teaching career taught me that life indeed.. is full of surprises.
oh, i can totally relate in this post Ruthi, I love teaching and I am enjoying every minute of it, but it does not mean that I do not have moments I cry and would sometimes question if it is all worth it, you know, the ups and downs of emotions when we are teaching, but over-all, teaching is a joy, as much as hiking and photography
@Betchai… most teachers can relate to this because we all share the same sentiments. And yes, there are indeed some benefits that are priceless.
Right, realistic, I’ll keep that in mind. I have plans of being a classroom teacher and I’m still a few years away from that goal. I have a friend who’s right now experiencing the happiness-slash-stress of being a high school teacher. She’s got students who are really really mean! She has cried lots of times and once gotten a nervous breakdown. But that doesn’t deter me from pursuing my dream. I love teaching, and I know it’s gonna be tough sometimes.
Hurray to teachers!
@Kat… keep the passion burning… trust me you’ll never regret one minutes of your time in the classroom.
That was funny about the guy teacher–too bad you didn’t take that bet!