#iheartteaching

I first fell in love with Teaching 10 years ago. Sitting in my first teaching lecture, listening to the inspiring stories my tutor shared, I thought to myself ‘wow, what an amazing, life changing profession’ and also ‘my God, did I even go to school?’. My school experience was mediocre, I wasn’t the smartest student in the year, I wasn’t the dumbest either, I was that kid in the middle- invisible to my peers and sometimes to my teachers. I was (or at least I felt like I was) the one who people say ‘oh yeah! I forgot she was in our grade’. The thing I loved most about school was the fact that I could access all sorts of information, I could learn anything. For example, I learnt that I am terrible at art! I was the kid the art teacher made fun of because I created the most hideous piece of pottery known to man. I learnt that I loved music, I hated Math, I loved learning languages and most of all I LOVED English (though ironically, hated reading!).

 Uni was great fun for me- if you have the same love of learning I do, of course a place that is designed to allow you to learn anything would be great fun! I could go to the library and find a book on anything I wanted. Prac experiences where terrifying, exhausting yet utterly rewarding for me and, I think, any new teacher. That’s where you learnt everything- the teacher you would like to be like, the one you most certainly do NOT want to be like. I graduated university in 2010, with an amazing job all lined up ready to go, the world of education at my feet.

 And then…I started real life, actual teaching…holy crap.

 Let me tell you, those “teachers” you see on the front of education text books- probably asked the naughtiest kid in the class to stay home that day- THAT’s why they are smiling. I think I went home every day, for at least my first term, crying- sometimes out of anger or frustration or fear and on the rare occasion, something went right! I thought I had to be the very best from day one, inspiring kids…can’t be that hard right? The other new teacher seemed to have a ray of sunshine shining out his butt the whole time, why don’t I? I mustn’t be as good as him! It wasn’t until my second year of teaching, when I found some wonderful friends that I realised that ray of sunshine can turn to shit, real quick, and the best thing to do when you start out is to learn who YOU are. I was young after all and still had a lot of growing up to do.

 Now, entering my 7th year of teaching High School, I feel like I finally have the courage to admit I know who I am. The first couple of years of teaching should be (I know mine were) about learning who you are as a teacher, how do you handle the child who is, let’s face it, an ass. How do you handle the high achievers? The child who can’t spell or read? How do you answer the question ‘What is the point of learning this? How is poetry going to help me in life?’. It is about figuring out are you are ‘smiler’, a joker, strict, relaxed? What are you? Who are you?

 Let me tell you, the answers to those questions come from many failed lesson plans, tears, furious rage flowing through your veins- but also from laughter, tears of joy and heart warming moments of adoration for your students.