So...did you do it? Did you do your homework assignment? I ask because I care. It was in total seriousness that I gave you the assignment--how did it go? I sat with my afternoon class of seniors and asked them to write down five positive things about themselves. The majority of the class sat there staring at me. Here they were--a class of 27 bright, beautiful teens, and they were paralyzed by the request.
Did you struggle? Did you have trouble coming up with many? With any? I warned you that you'd feel silly and embarrassed. I found students trying to "cheat" off each others' papers. They were truly stuck. And you, my dear reader, you didn't have the luxury of looking onto someone else's list, so did you manage to come up with your own?
Yesterday, I went to speak to a class of potential teachers at Wesleyan College. There was a "seasoned" teacher there who really needed to read this blog. She told the kids how much she hated her first teaching jobs--how they made her vomit. Literally vomit! She complained of migraines, vomiting, rashes, etc. I was horrified to listen to this woman--we were there to encourage these kids, and she was telling them horror stories. She told how she left teaching and went into banking, but hated that. When she ran into a former administrator, he offered her a job. She accepted it, only to have the bank offer her nearly double the salary they were paying her. She told the students that she was sorry that they hadn't made the offer the day before, when she had not yet signed the contract with the school. This is NOT a positive woman, and I'm willing to bet, not a great teacher!
I have to wonder what words would be on HER list. And yours? What words are on your list? Have you read them out loud today? You need to repeat the process. Today, tomorrow, the next day. It will help you begin to believe it.
No comments:
Post a Comment