Everything I needed to know... I did not learn in a college classroom!

I’ve been talking with my buddy Tanner (yeah the book rant kid) recently, talking about the difficulties of being in education… especially when it comes to ‘labeling’ kids.

It got me thinking about one of my ‘special’ kids. He’s in my homeroom class and he’s kinda a goof, he’s loud and silly, he sometimes has trouble listening to directions. I’ve talked with other teachers as well as some of the resource staff at school. He has his problems… but that is not what this is about.

The discussions I’ve been having with Tanner have made me realize that I need to change my lingo. I need to work on helping him despite his problems. It is not an issue of dealing with him, it is helping him. I can’t do anything about being on or off meds, I have to take him just as he is and help him learn to the best of both our abilities.

I realize that his actions might be distracting to other students – I also realize that helping him will take more effort and energy than dealing with him will. But the goal of being an effective teacher means that you take kids exactly where they are and lift them up. Not so that they come into your classroom and act like little adults.

Where am I going with this? Isn’t that the beauty of just typing away? There doesn’t have to be a point – but a way to access your thoughts… which is turning out to be...

‘Everything I know about classroom management I learned at summer camp.’

Seriously, when kids are allowed and even expected to be kids – they learn better. When they are allowed to roam and be with other people their age they discover things on their own. I was always amazed when I heard campers talk about what I had taught them during the day. Both at Boy Scout Camp and while I was at Shalom this summer. They were excited to be out and about – and they were expected to be campers, therefore the pressure of messing up and making mistakes were off. And they REMEMBERED things I had said – even if it was offhand random and useless.

The more I learn about teaching, I learn that we need to view the position as more of a guide than a dictator. Yes we need order and some sense of control in the cramped space we call classrooms, but with in that there needs to be some freedom for the students to learn on their own – make mistakes with out being yelled at. There is a very fine line between control and chaos… a line that teachers need to walk everyday. Because I have discovered that it is on this line that children learn best…

Nice turn for a rant eh? THANKS TANNER!! YOU GOOFI!! (j/k you're awesome)

Shalom! Peace – that is the greatest prayer!