I never know where I'll be or who or what I'll be facing.
Every day is an adventure.
I just climb into my TARDIS, flip a few dials, and
Next stop: everywhere!
Does a glorified babysitter make any kind of difference in the world?
I like to think so.
I like to think that when I smile at a student and let them go to the dang bathroom when they need to, I'm making the world a better place (one still has to use some discretion while making the world a better place, of course!).
I like to think that when a student is tormented by their peers, an immediate and sensitive reaction on my part diffuses the situation and helps them move on.
Being a natural storyteller, everything I'm teaching reminds me of something I just have to talk about.
Having a good sense of humor, I pull out the MadLibs and accept word suggestions with a judiciously open mind that students appreciate.
I get to teach in all sorts of classrooms and get a taste for all kinds of learning.
Sometimes shy students approach me with stories they have written.
Sometimes they just want me to listen.
Sometimes they seek advice from me.
Sometimes they want humor, or gravity, or affirmation, or just a willing audience.
Sometimes students are brimming over with such a heavy need for attention that they behave in the most despicable manner. (They're just seeking attention = they NEED the attention. Hello!)
Sometimes they ignore me.
Sometimes they flock around me like seagulls waiting to snatch my lunch off the sands of Lake Michigan.
I feel like the Statue of Liberty.
I stroll in like I own the place, smile like I'm on camera, and speak like I'm a gameshow host.
Everybody wins!
Everybody lives!
On a good day, I go home a better person than when I came.
On a bad day, I just chalk it up to experience and make a game-plan for the next time.
Having no classroom, I have every classroom.
Having no students of my own, I teach to all students.
I am an educator.
I know I'm an educator, because I never stop learning and wanting to share what I've learned.
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Hey, a mother of one of my students is writing a doctoral thesis in APA format, and she's looking for someone to proofread it. She's willing to pay. I told her I knew of someone who might take on the job (I'm slammed). If you want to talk money with her, her email address is jndlebe@manistee.org.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'll send an inquiry. I know you're slammed - it's the end of the semester/marking period, isn't it? Fun times. The one thing I don't miss about teaching full time.
ReplyDelete