(what i learned at school today)

According to modest calculation, I have spent well over 18,000 hours of my life watching teachers teach. Between Fall 1991 and Spring 2008, it was, in fact, my principle responsibility in life to listen to them and appropriately appropriate the knowledge that they helped me to discover, understand, and apply.

So you can imagine my state of mind as I walked home from my first day ever as a bona fide teacher and mulled over the fact that, somehow—despite so much time logged in the presence of teachers—I found it so foreign (haha), overwhelming, and even intimidating to step into that position myself.

Don’t get me wrong—I expected exactly as much when I signed up to come teach in a foreign country. I don’t think I realized until today, though, after it was all said and done, just how much meticulous adjustment would be required of me. In a couple short months, I’ve gone from being the taught to the teacher (in theory, anyway). Not only that, I did it while giving myself a crash course in the workings of a school system I never went through and speaking a language that doesn’t always come naturally when I’m nervous before a class full of 20 expectant little French faces. Not to mention that I’ve got no training whatsoever about cognitive development, lesson planning, or classroom management. Even my handwriting is not up to par, as one of the teachers kindly informed me today.

So that’s the part of my new job that is (understandably, I think) quite daunting. HOWEVER, in the face of all the aforementioned scariness, I have a lot going for me, here, too. Such as:

1) I’m quite good at what I’m teaching, if not yet at how to teach it.

2) Experience is a master instructor, and that’s what I’m getting!

3) My students are completely enthusiastic and mostly fearless, and instantly resilient in the face of failure (qualities I’m relearning from them as I build confidence to be a good teacher).

4) Handwriting is an easy thing to practice.

And, as an additional perk, I get to smile at the funny things my students say and do, because they’re pretty damn cute, as it turns out. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of “monster” moments, too—but for now I’m enjoying reentering the world of the primary school student. Oh, and gaining new respect for my old teachers…Now in the course of my day, I frequently find myself thinking “Whoa…someone taught me how to do this. And they had to be creative about it, clear, and patient.” It’s so easy to forget as adults just how labor-intensive it was just to get us all functioning independently enough to navigate daily life.

For your enjoyment, a fun moment from the day:

Upon being asked “Can you guess what country I come from?” one exuberant 3^rd grader raised her hand and declared, “From Obama!”

 

Much more to come…