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Don't be That Teacher
Apr. 26th, 2019 11:28 amToday was an interesting sort of day for Calculus class.
See, right before the end of third quarter, they took a test that they bommmmbed. The overall average, across 35 students, was a 60%. So I started this week by giving the test back, going over the whole thing quickly as a class, and saying that we'll do a bonus point retest opportunity today(Friday).
(We also had a short quiz on the more recent stuff we've been working on, because why not throw it all in the blender at once?)
My first Calc class was relatively fine, and no significant anything going on. Students worked, I asked a couple questions, it was all cool. My second class, which is the weaker one in general1, has been a little more...exciting. Which hits me in the teacher feels: Do I be severe and unyielding, or do I try and be empathetic?
Like, three quarters of this class has *told* me about their explicit anxiety disorders, or bad home lives, or rough dating experiences or whatever. I know what these kids are carrying and it's a lot. And that's where we get to the part of being a teacher that I do feel I'm being successful about, the ability to look at what's going on, and listen to the students, and talk to them about what they need.
Yesterday I spent an hour working one-on-one with a student who struggles to make it to school. We got her caught up and ready. That was good and worked out well! She said she was so excited to know what she was doing, that that's the thing she loves about math! We talked about how much you have to practice sometimes, but how just about anyone can do just about anything, sometimes you just need a little extra work and time.
One of my students started the class by saying "I'm sorry I couldn't come to extra help time yesterday, can I take it later?". We talked about the situation, and I had her just do the test redo questions today, and she'll do the quiz after school. When she finished the test, I was able to ask her if she needed decompress time or math help time...and then I was able to to spend a few quiet minutes looking at recent quizzes and confirming with her that she was doing the right thing and on the right track. This student absolutely *could've* taken the quiz today, she had almost everything right, but her weasels were telling her that she was a failure at everything and it costs me so little to give her the space and time and reassurance to fight them off.
A third student has missed the last two days of class --they were here for the test review, but not for going back over the quiz stuff. When I was passing stuff out, I asked if they wanted to try and they said yes. Fifteen minutes later, with their eyes panicking, I came over and just started with a "talk to me". They were able to ask for resources to study/catch up with the material, and we worked out a plan for them. They'll do the quiz as soon as they're able, and I'm glad their pride wasn't too much to keep them from accepting help. I'm glad my attention was enough to see that they weren't doing it.
I don't know how they'll do on the test redo. (I am feeling tentatively good about the quiz). But I feel good about how they'll do in the long run, these beautiful sad children who are learning how to ask for help and balance their emotions and try and try and learn and grow.
Kindness costs so little, and we are all we have in the world. Try and be gentle, when you can.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: but has all my favourite students! And so far this year I have not had to tell anyone in this period not to bite each other, so that's a plus.
See, right before the end of third quarter, they took a test that they bommmmbed. The overall average, across 35 students, was a 60%. So I started this week by giving the test back, going over the whole thing quickly as a class, and saying that we'll do a bonus point retest opportunity today(Friday).
(We also had a short quiz on the more recent stuff we've been working on, because why not throw it all in the blender at once?)
My first Calc class was relatively fine, and no significant anything going on. Students worked, I asked a couple questions, it was all cool. My second class, which is the weaker one in general1, has been a little more...exciting. Which hits me in the teacher feels: Do I be severe and unyielding, or do I try and be empathetic?
Like, three quarters of this class has *told* me about their explicit anxiety disorders, or bad home lives, or rough dating experiences or whatever. I know what these kids are carrying and it's a lot. And that's where we get to the part of being a teacher that I do feel I'm being successful about, the ability to look at what's going on, and listen to the students, and talk to them about what they need.
Yesterday I spent an hour working one-on-one with a student who struggles to make it to school. We got her caught up and ready. That was good and worked out well! She said she was so excited to know what she was doing, that that's the thing she loves about math! We talked about how much you have to practice sometimes, but how just about anyone can do just about anything, sometimes you just need a little extra work and time.
One of my students started the class by saying "I'm sorry I couldn't come to extra help time yesterday, can I take it later?". We talked about the situation, and I had her just do the test redo questions today, and she'll do the quiz after school. When she finished the test, I was able to ask her if she needed decompress time or math help time...and then I was able to to spend a few quiet minutes looking at recent quizzes and confirming with her that she was doing the right thing and on the right track. This student absolutely *could've* taken the quiz today, she had almost everything right, but her weasels were telling her that she was a failure at everything and it costs me so little to give her the space and time and reassurance to fight them off.
A third student has missed the last two days of class --they were here for the test review, but not for going back over the quiz stuff. When I was passing stuff out, I asked if they wanted to try and they said yes. Fifteen minutes later, with their eyes panicking, I came over and just started with a "talk to me". They were able to ask for resources to study/catch up with the material, and we worked out a plan for them. They'll do the quiz as soon as they're able, and I'm glad their pride wasn't too much to keep them from accepting help. I'm glad my attention was enough to see that they weren't doing it.
I don't know how they'll do on the test redo. (I am feeling tentatively good about the quiz). But I feel good about how they'll do in the long run, these beautiful sad children who are learning how to ask for help and balance their emotions and try and try and learn and grow.
Kindness costs so little, and we are all we have in the world. Try and be gentle, when you can.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: but has all my favourite students! And so far this year I have not had to tell anyone in this period not to bite each other, so that's a plus.