Teaching

Teaching.  Do I enjoy teaching?

In the context of my math classroom, I'm not sure.  High school teaching is a lot of babysitting.

Write down your homework.  Wake up.  Stop talking.  Copy this down.  Study for your test tomorrow.  Did you do your homework?  Did you bring your notebook?  Do you have a pencil?

That is how I describe the teaching aspect of the American classroom...  included with that is the planning and the grading... ugh ha.

Before this starts sounding like a rant... do I enjoy my job?  Yes, for the most part.  I love talking to the kids, even the obnoxious ones.  I love sharing the things that I've learned... I've love seeing when they acknowledge there is more to learn and room to grow...  is that always about math? Nope.

Today I address the class about an impatient driver on the way to work.

Honked impatiently at me cause I chose to not force my way into an intersection.  Turns out this driver was a employee of my school.  Later followed me through a turn where they did not have enough room essentially blocking the intersection.  Wanted to circumvent the normal line of cars and drove on the left side of the road on a crowded residential street to pass 3 cars turning right.  Proceeded through a stop sign without checking for the right of way, forcing two student pedestrians to stop and let the car pass in front of them before continuing across the street.

I address how we often behave similarly when we are late or in a rush.  For the sake of saving 15 secs, this lady proceeded to break 4 traffic laws and endanger the lives of the people around her... which to my frustration are the students she as an employee of CCUSD should be serving.  My point... its not worth it.  Especially since at the end of the trip, she forgot something in her car and I passed her on foot to my classroom proudly proclaiming to my class that after all she did to get in front of me into the school... I still beat her. -_-

They're so teachable.  They want to learn.  It makes me sad that sometimes all I have time to teach them is math.  There's so much more to life.  Their dramas with friends or boys or girls.  They frustrations with siblings or parents.  The stresses of a bad grade or a difficult class. The fears of college and not meeting expectations.  They've been trained to think that this life they call high school is the most important thing in their life right now... but is isn't.  Its important... but not everything.

Do I love teaching?  Not really.  I love people who love to learn and I love helping them learn.