by Andrew Negru | May 9, 2020 | Bucket List, Life, Teaching
I always hear the same phrases when I tell people I am a teacher: “You? A teacher? I could never see you as a teacher” “I could never be a teacher” “How do you handle the kids”.
These are just a few of the questions I get when I bring up in conversation that I am a teacher. Also, get used to it, I have yet not met a teacher that does not like to talk about “teaching things”. I can remember a specific moment when I was in Cleveland with some friends. Met a random person who so happened to be a teacher. We spent the rest of the night talking on things that only teachers would laugh at or would understand.
When you are a teacher, you are part of a special, inclusive club. Lots of people join but not everyone can hack it. Out of my graduating class of 35 teachers, only 2 are still in the profession. Teaching is not for everyone, but everyone needs a teacher. I love what I do. I honestly love what I do. People talk about becoming a teacher because they want to change the future and shape the minds of young ones. While that is an admirable idea, that is not mine. Though that is something I do, it is not the reason I am a teacher. As a teacher you have the ability to make an impact on a child’s life. Think about it this way. Most kids sleep 6-7 hours a night, spend 8+ hours at school, around 2 hours doing homework and then the rest of the time is spent at home. If you do that math, you are 1/3 of that child”s life for several years.
1/3 of that child’s life is spent with their teacher
Think About It!
As a teacher I am responsible for them. Again, they are just kids and with that I call them my kids. People ask me how many kids do I have, I tell them I have over 100. They look at me as if I’m crazy. I’m not. Everyday I get in to work and I see my kids. I have to read their faces and see did they have a bad night at home, are they sick, is something wrong, are they happy. Based on seeing them in the morning I know how to move forward with the day. As a teacher respect and friendship is the most important thing. That club that inclusive club of teachers is what I am talking about right now. Most teachers come in then check out. Teaching is so much more than that. I can make a wild bet that most “teachers” who have let go of this profession did not know their students birthdays, if they had siblings, if they lived with mom and dad, or just on parent, or if they lived other family. Most teachers do not take the time to learn special and specific details about their kids. It is in these specific nuances that teachers thrive. My kids love me, my kids parents love me. I spend time outside of my classroom visiting my kids at their after school clubs, church gatherings and sports games. It is this reason that my kids enjoy coming to my classroom. It is this reason that my kids enjoy math and social studies.
Not too long ago we shadowed another school and as I was walking around and talking to the students, I tend to ask them what their favorite subject was. I heard science, reading, gym, lunch and many others but I never heard social studies or math. It is these 2 subjects that I teach. So I was curious, because if you ask my students what subjects they enjoy, they will tell you math and social studies. Is it the material they love or is it the teacher? That I do not know, but i’d like to say it’s a little bit of both.