Hello friends!
Everyone has those moments where you just can't. Many of us might be at that moment right now. I have a feeling that a great many of those people might reside on this campus because, my friends, finals week is upon us. Today was the last full day of classes. Tomorrow is study day with four days of finals after that. Many are realising that perhaps procrastinating was not the best idea they've ever had.
I might or might not be one of those people, but, in my defense, I do teach all day. So yes, you're right, I have a truckload to get done this week. However, I feel like I need to defend my procrastination just a little bit. It can be very hard to motivate yourself to do more work when you have been working all day. I also lost all of Saturday as a work day because of being sick. However, I can somehow sense that this is a truth of adulthood that I need to learn to accept. Teaching is not a profession in which you can leave your work at work. It has a way of creeping home with you. That or you stay at the school past dinner time.
So, this evening was one of those evenings that I felt I just couldn't. I was sitting here, working on the technology section of my unit plan and I just couldn't even process what the questions were asking. Fun fact: once I could process what they were asking, I realized that they were asking me the same question ten different times with ten different phrasings. As my friend who is also an education major has aptly said, we should also get a degree in bullshit along with our teaching license.
If you know a teacher, you know what we mean. All those questions about how you are going to support student learning while engaging the students in the standards of your curriculum with the help of technology all the while juggling on a unicycle. You know, standard questions. The trick is, the answer is almost always the same or at least takes the same kind of format. In simplest terms, it becomes a really boring game of Mad Libs. For example: "I supported student learning by (insert educational theory here). These students were supported because (insert the exact same educational theory but with different wording). I assessed if my students were supported adequately because (insert new educational theory but tie it back to the old one)."
However, I am not saying that those questions are invalid or unimportant. They are questions that all educators should be asking themselves with every lesson the plan. We need to support all of our students in their learning and I would never try to say that's not important. However, once you've asked me the same question ten different times about the same lesson, I start to get just a little annoyed. In any case, I will endure and answer these seemingly endless questions because my students are worth it.
I guess that's what it all comes down to. You look into the eyes of your students, and most days, it's totally worth it. Granted, today was not one of those days for me. A long part of the walk I took to the music building and back to my apartment was spent wondering if I really wanted to endure endless paperwork and children's attitudes for the rest of my life. However, as I've come to discover, I think all teachers have days like that. It also doesn't help that I'm getting over a cold and I don't feel very good. That's why I have an awesome roommate who, upon hearing my plight and mood, pulled up "I Just Can't Wait to be King" from Lion King and we jammed out. You're right, I felt a lot better after that.
I somehow mustered up the willpower to get the technology part of my unit plan finished. Well, almost finished. I have two questions left, okay? My brain just decided that it was done for the day. Also, when your answers start becoming snide remarks with some profanity thrown in, you should probably stop and try again tomorrow.
My adulting lesson of the week: learning how to persevere even though I really really really REALLY want to go to bed or do literally, anything else. On a positive note, I get to see my family and fiance at the end of the week so that's super exciting!
'Til Next Time,
Jamie
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