From the moment I started teaching "my kids", almost 4 years ago, I wasn't known by Mrs. P---, but rather "Miss" or "Miz" depending on the student. At first I was offended, but then realized that for these kids it's more of an honorific than a butchering of my name, or a grudging use of something other than a "hey you!" I've come to realize that my students are from a culture who does value education, and they show me as much as they know how.
Because they come from all walks of life, I often get asked, "How do you deal with those kids?" meaning the tough kids I teach. Often this is something that is asked by teachers in other schools or people not familiar with the teaching profession. My now-standard response is, "You know the kids on 'Dangerous Minds' or 'Freedom Writers Diary'?" When the response is inevitabely a "Yes," I reply, "Those are my kids, but I don't treat them any differently from any other kid I'd teach." Which is VERY true. I treat all my students equally and hope that it shows through in my teachings and dealings with my students and their parents.
**Disclaimer** Yes I call them "My kids" because often I have them for the two years they are with us in the school, so I do form an attachment as do they. I've had kids come to me for anything from advice on life to dating to just what's going on with the world. It's such a good feeling!
No comments:
Post a Comment