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| image from iClipart for Schools |
I have heard so many teachers say that their favorite time is whenever the students aren't there. That just makes me sad! I know it's a joke - but it is a tired and depressing joke.
So what is my favorite part of the day? The times when I could be myself with students - when I was less Mrs. Swantz and much more Beth. Those times came first thing in the morning - at recess time and when we were getting ready to go home. It was at those times that I felt like students really showed me who they were and I showed them as well.
I have thought about that a lot. I believe in rules and limits and the need for distance between students and teachers. I think all that is really important. But, I also think we, as teachers, lose something if we hold to that persona all the time. I have taught with too many teachers who never showed their true self to their students - or the rest of the staff for that matter. They believed that the distance was a requirement for respect and learning. I disagree - I think that distance can mess things up.
When I was little, my kindergarten teacher was married to the school custodian. When they saw each other in the hall they would nod their head and say and say "Mr. Long" or "Mrs. Long." I thought that their real names were Mr. and Mrs. I don't think that is all the uncommon - I know kids who believe their teachers live at school. All of that creates an aura of teachers who are not real people. I think it makes teachers and learning scary and inaccessible. And there are many parent who would also believe that.
We need to be reminded of all those stories of teachers impacting student lives. They seem to have a common thread - the teacher became more than just Mrs. to the student. So - I need to look for those moments and embrace them whenever I can find them!
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