What happens when you combine a tiki, whiteboard, and woman pushed to her brink?
To start off on a tangent, I’m back in London and rubbing together what brain cells I have to work with during my lingering jet-lag…zzzzzzzz…
I promise to get back up in my tree and swingin’ on the vines again this week, but first allow me to share another guest post of mine that just featured on Real Bloggers United (“RBU“) last weekend:
“No Child Left Behind…That Can’t Bring His or Her Own Self Forward”
This is a personal memoir that I offered up for RBU’s July theme, “The Day My Patience Died.” I must say, since in my own blog I mostly write fiction (or about writing fiction), it’s nice to delve into nonfiction at RBU, where either genre is acceptable. The other contributing bloggers there have engaging and diverse stories that they consistently share through their just-as engaging and diverse voices, so if you’re not part of it yet, I encourage you to join!
July 20th, 2010 at 12:03
This is a great story. I can only imagine how tough it is to get through to teenagers under peer pressure and would have never plucked up the courage or even felt the desire to teach. So am impressed by the way you are hanging on. Agree – it is a great glimpse into your real life, off the tree. Looking forward to hear more….
July 21st, 2010 at 17:15
Thanks so much, Eva! Yeah, teenagers and what their insecurities and outside influences can coerce them to do gets quite wearing, yet, oddly enough, I’m less intimidated by them than younger children! This particular experience was really trying, and I’ll always wonder what would have happened further down the road had I hung on a little longer. Other than a couple more individual days of substitute teaching, I haven’t taught in London since
Looking to return to at least one day a week this fall, though, if I can shuffle my current part-time hours!
July 20th, 2010 at 17:10
That was a really touching story and that photo of the student’s messages made me a bit teary eyed. Well done you, if only all teachers had as much patience as you did. That’s probably the first time anyone gave a toss about those students, I know teenagers can be a pain but they’re just lost souls that need guidance.
July 21st, 2010 at 17:34
You’re so right, Agatha. All shenanigans aside, those kids are fundamentally really sweet people–never have I had a student address me rudely…the rudeness just comes through the disruptions. Yet you do have to figure it’s a way of getting attention, so it becomes a matter of helping them to understand the right ways of seeking attention, which ends up being more satisfying for them. And, oh, that whiteboard…by the end of my last day, they all had that entire thing covered and kept hugging me—even my Year 7 terrors! The naughtiest boys, shyly smiling and squeezing me around the waist. I was bawling.
July 20th, 2010 at 18:03
Welcome back, we’ve missed you!
And that story was very touching, thank you for sharing it… You, lady, are a remarkable person and an amazing teacher! I agree with Agatha, if only more teachers were like you…
July 21st, 2010 at 17:38
Aw, it’s so great to be back in contact with you! Glad you liked the story…I must admit, I’m waiting for someone who might be offended by my, er, unorthodox method. My cup runneth entirely over from your kind words—that day taught me that it was those kids who were the remarkable people
July 20th, 2010 at 20:10
You remind me of a Russian doll, just when you think you have found the real doll another equally beautiful and intriguing one appears from within. I miss your daily doses of wit and intelligence.
July 21st, 2010 at 17:42
That is such an enchanting metaphor, and how utterly flattering to be on the other side of that comparison! Thank you, Nick.
July 21st, 2010 at 01:45
That is an amazing story. Sometimes we have to lose our patience, break down, and almost completely lose it before we reach the breakthrough. It would be great if it wasn’t painful, but it is. Very. You are living that life that when you sit down to write will provide the greatest fount of inspiration. Go you!
July 21st, 2010 at 17:48
Oh, thank you so much, Susan! You really hit on it—I could have never planned to handle that the way I did; it was tough circumstances demanding an impulsive action, so I’m relieved it worked out in the end. I appreciate your encouragement; what life teaches us truly is a meaningful resource to tap.
August 6th, 2010 at 23:14
Loved this anecdote – reminded me of some of my own encounters. They can be stinkers, but they keep you young!
August 7th, 2010 at 09:00
They really do keep ya on your toes…you should have seen me on my last day. Just like every last day of school, I bawled. No matter how naughty, they always endear themselves to me a ridiculous amount. Even the worst of the worst Year 7 boys at that school came up to hug me, twice apiece! Cued me that there’s a special attention given to students at schools like GHS and SCN that these kids clearly don’t receive. I don’t regret my decision, but I’ll regardless always feel bad that I didn’t stay to shower them with a bit more of it.
February 22nd, 2012 at 19:38
[...] when I’d had it all sorted. I was happy as an English teacher, truly, and gave a go at teaching in London. But let’s just say I know the joy to be found in teaching, so when I found myself treading [...]