Quotable Bits- July 3

This reminds me of the saying, "There are three sides to every story- yours, mine, and the truth."  The fact is, our attitudes, preconceived notions, and perception of life in general changes how we see things.  To try to deny that would be ridiculous, in my opinion.

I just finished teaching a month of summer school.  The group of students I had were less than wonderful.  They were difficult and frustrating.  Throughout the whole month I found myself saying I didn't teach them a thing- the month was a waste of time.  That is when I view summer school through the lenses of who I am- a perfectionist with grand ideas, hopes, and dreams for both my class and myself.

When I step back, however, I taught the children a lot.  I taught them how to stand in line and walk through the halls of the school like a respectful and respectable group of people.  I got so many compliments on how well-behaved my class was when in the public areas of the school!  I taught this group how to take turns, to raise their hands when they wish to speak, and to have pride in their achievements.  In essence, I taught them what it is to be a good student.

I may not have gotten very far teaching math and language arts, though I suspect more sunk in than I am willing to take credit for.  I did, however, make a difference for these kids for next year.  I hope they will walk into their next classroom remembering the lessons they learned.  The truth is, no learning will take place effectively until the students have mastered the basics of sitting in their seats, not talking when it is not their turn, and active listening.  When I view things as they really are, rather than through my "too-high hopes" lenses, summer school was pretty successful!