As a teacher, no matter what grade level, no matter how hard you try to engage the entire class or implement the suggestions above, you will still encounter “that one kid” who will get under your skin: the class clown, the smart-ass, the student who acts like you are pulling his teeth every time you ask him to do something, the kid who always has to say “this is stupid.” They are just part of the clientele base we serve and they can drive us to drinking (figuratively speaking…and sometimes literally). Please remember that you are the adult. The negativity or resistance “that one kid” radiates can be handled in a way that does not disturb the class structure.
In America, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work, or about a quarter of his or her adult life. Job satisfaction, then, can have an enormous influence on quality of life.
Being supportive and building students’ confidence is not accomplished by blindly telling them they are doing a great job every day. It involves assessing weaknesses and strengths and delivering feedback in a timely manner so that they can build their skills to complete the task at hand.
A poorly made car, sofa, or meal can be easily returned or discarded. A poorly educated child cannot; factory recalls are not an option in education. There will never be a day when the evening newscaster announces, 'Scottsdale High School issued a product recall on the graduating class of 2012. If you currently employ a member of the class of ‘12, please return him or her to the district office for a class of ‘17 upgrade.
A poorly made car, sofa, or meal can be easily returned or discarded. A poorly educated child cannot; factory recalls are not an option in education. There will never be a day when the evening newscaster announces, “Scottsdale High School issued a product recall on the graduating class of 2012. If you currently employ a member of the class of ‘12, please return him or her to the district office for a class of ‘17 upgrade.
With all the multi-tiered interventions, assessment software, aligned textbooks, digital content, and scripted curriculum available to the field, some might question if the role of the teacher is significant in today’s schools. Does it really matter who is leading the classroom? The answer to this question is a resounding YES!
