Perspective

I know it's been a while since I've really written anything on this blog (mostly just pictures), and who knows if anyone still even reads this anymore, but today I had an experience at school that I just don't want to forget.  It probably doesn't mean anything to anybody but me, but for me it was what I needed. Today for Music my kids had a sub.  I dropped them, and many of the kids recognized him from other times he had subbed at the school.  When I returned, to pick them up, the sub just raved about the kids, and kept going on and on about how good they were.  He continued to say that they work great as a time, and really worked well together.  When I asked him how many points they earned (3 points possible), he said 3 without even thinking about it.

This got me thinking… If somebody can enjoy my students that much, why can't I enjoy them all the time?  Why do I have such a hard time appreciating their talents, and good behaviors.  It gave me some perspective, and really made me take a step back and think, do I really make the classroom a place where the kids walk out excited, and do I appreciate them to the fullest?  I definitely don't do that now… I find myself constantly frustrated with my class, not necessarily the students, but the class in general.  Whether it be because of a chatty day, not getting to all the curriculum, or having so many kids confused that I don't know what to do with myself, I am constantly feeling defeated in my classroom.  Now, I understand that the Music teacher only had the students for 30 minutes, and I would probably be a hero too if I only had them for half an hour, but it still made me feel a little guilty for not really loving my class like I could/should.

Teaching is a hard profession, and it's just getting more and more difficult with the Common Core being implemented.  I always admired teachers while growing up, and I went to school to become a teacher, but it's just so different than what I imagined.  It genuinely is hard work.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling… Just wanted to write about the "perspective" I gained today :)