Go Figure

I taught two lessons at a charter school last week for a class assignment. Something struck me as a little funny a couple days later. I struggled for so long in classrooms that the thought of ever "teaching" was the equivalent of saying I scored a 30 on my ACT. But I felt very natural in the classroom. I walked around the classroom while explaining the different types of violence (that was the lesson). I didn't stutter a bit and the students were raising their hands at will. I asked a couple students to put their earphones away and they did without rolling the eyes or asking why.

Sports were always natural for me but being in that classroom was pretty darn close. I didn't worry about the time and I let the students share their stories and opinions.

I was taken back while the class was working on a vocabulary crossword puzzle. I was very open with inviting the class to ask for help and a student took me up on it. He was having difficulty with the definitions of a few words. I instantly warped back to middle school while walking over to help him. I was ALWAYS needing help in school but I was always afraid to ask. I pulled up a chair and started to explain the differences between the vocabulary words. He was really trying but just coming up a little short. He didn't know the definition of "stereotype" and he appeared to be a little embarrassed about it. I quickly mentioned a few examples of a stereotype. He instantly picked out the right meaning and filled in the boxes. He just needed a little explanation and he was on his way. That situation was awesome.

Students should never be embarrassed or ashamed to ask questions. Any teacher who inflicts guilt on a student should be out of the classroom. Go and take the power trip elsewhere.

Yes, I will never be the perfect teacher. I will have my good and bad days but I will never sacrifice a student's will to learn. I have yet to meet anybody who has learned anything without asking questions.