Today has been impossible, so I turn to my dormant blog here as a source of refuge.
Am in charge of procuring vegetables for the third graders’ urban farming project. Science lab technician informed me that the vegetables wouldn’t be able to be harvested next week. Relayed this information to the key personnel in charge.
Alas, she wasn’t happy with the way I delivered the news, so she must have complained to my reporting officer. My reporting officer sent me a text around 6pm, asking to work things out with the lab technician.
(Don’t worry about Sensei. A flash of inspiration came to me. I would send a text to our seedlings vendor tomorrow. See what he says about the time required for harvesting.)
My sixth grader class has been impossible. Their immaturity and reluctance to do work must have prejudiced me, for I told @Scoresby that children can’t handle complexities. Well, this class of children can’t. I think @SimpleStacker may relate to my pain.
Apparently, some boys marched up to my son, who is a first grader in my school, and told him that I was very annoying. I kinda felt that they were crossing the line.
(Don’t worry about Sensei. I know that their prefrontal cortexes are not developed fully and all that jazz. But it was the first time that the book “The Courage to be Disliked” resonated so strongly with me. Haha. I’m a tad melodramatic, I know.)
Anyway, some good things that happened with my children just today. Taught my boy a Chinese idiom first thing in the morning and got him to write a short essay in the evening. Feeling accomplished to be teaching him things. My daughter helped me with the wiping of the dining table chair this evening! So helpful.
I realised the importance of having children. They are a balm against the stresses of work. Haha. Gotta love them harder than before so that they don’t feel ashamed by their annoying dad haha
Woo-doggy, sounds like you had a rough day.
While I do believe kids are able to handle much greater complexity than we often allow them, I'll also know that they are total shits. Especially in packs. The little bastards that told your son you were annoying are probably being raised by brutes. Not that this excuses their behavior, but at least we can grapple with why they are so unpleasant.
Keep your chin up. Your son benefits from positivity.
little bastards
thanks! needed that wry smile on my face haha
Yes, I can relate.
One of the toughest things about being a teacher is that the majority of your students typically aren't there of their own volition. So you're already starting off on the wrong foot with the "customer". Then, the thing you are supposed to give them is something they may not actually want---even if it may be good for them.
You have to constantly remind yourself that it's not your job to make them want it.
I think I try too hard sometimes. maybe it’s an occupational hazard?
my professionalism is also compounded by the fact that the vice principal is breathing heavily down the P6 English teachers’ necks. we need to track every single component of our students’ marks, right down to item analysis.
To me the hard part of teaching is that more effort, in terms of getting students to learn, isn't always appreciated by the students. A teacher who's easy and funny, but doesn't actually get them to learn much, is usually seen as a better teacher by the students even if they're not actually a better teacher. Thus, working hard can sometimes feel unrewarded. Teachers who have a high level of intrinsic motivation thus get burnt out over time.
You took the words right out of my mouth, mate!
Gives me extra energy to power through today. Haha