I believe teaching for me is not really just about getting kids to memorize a series of facts, it's more about showing them that they are more intelligent than they sometimes give themselves credit for. It takes time to build relationships with colleagues in the building and the students in the classroom. What I really miss is the stage in the game where we're past the small talk and establishing who is alpha, beta, etc., and can really get down to learning. I love when I'm excited about a new topic and learning about it and the students and I feed off of each others' excitement and new projects are born out of just the desire to see what's what cool things we can do. I suppose it reminds me of that "zone" where you are just on the high-end of what you know and starting to find out you really DON'T know everything about a topic, but are willing to pursue it because there is no fear of ridicule from teacher or other students. That's the environment I strive for because it's fun and makes me feel as though I actually did make some sort of difference.
All in all, I love my new school and feel like I'm adjusting to the students as much as they are adjusting to me. When sarcasm gets lost in translation, people react differently. At this point, I feel as though there is great potential, there are very bright and talented kids, and I still feel as though it's a fun challenge getting the students technologically proficient in multiple areas. There's a nice staff I'm still getting to know and hope that enrollment in my classes balloon in the coming year to create a demand for MORE classes!
Hope everyone got home safe in the ice today...
M. Suter
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