Rick came in the room whimpering. His knee was scraped. A bit of blood was oozing out. I directed him toward the first aid kit and said, “It’s only a knee. Knees grow back.” The kids argued with me.
Later, Jake came in with a skinned elbow. I directed him to the first aid kit and said, “It’s only an elbow. Elbows grow back.” The kids argued with me.
Throughout the course of the year I have assured them that elbows, knees, fingers, feet, arms, legs, ears, noses and heads grow back. Always they argue with me. Often one of them asks, “What kind of teacher are you?” Jasmine frequently says, “We aren’t starfish, Ms. A!”
Today I repeated the phrase, “It’ll grow back,” at least a half dozen times. People kept banging, poking and thumping themselves. Luckily no real injuries occurred. As I was reading aloud to the kids after recess, Jasmine picked up a pair of scissors and started snipping the ends of her hair. I yelled –”Stop!” — loud, startled, and dramatically.
Jasmine froze, scissors poised, mouth in an O, eyes wide. “Don’t cut that,” I cried. “It won’t grow back!”
Jasmine yelled, “You scared me!”
Cindi said in disgust, “Honestly, Ms. A., how can you expect us to believe anything you say?”
That’s just it. I don’t want them to believe. I want them to think!
Oooh, aren’t you clever!
Jay — some days, yes. Other days, not so much.
I keep say “Kids will be kids” Art Linkletter made oodles of money talking to them.
Hmmm, an educator that understands the purpose of education, would I be unjust if I said that is relatively rare?
Mike
Bill — the kids are a riot — so’s their teacher.
Mike — I am afraid public education is anti-thinking. Repeat after me … So, in the interest of me keeping my job, let’s not tell anybody what I do, okay?
I’m glad you went into teaching rather than medicine. Or hairdressing.
Brig — I’d have been a riot in the emergency room — and I came very close to going into hair dressing, against my will. Step-mommy dearest thought it was just the thing for me, what with my limited intelligence and all.
making kids think… so few teacher are actually capable of that… i’m glad you are
Polona — my teaching philosophy is simple, if I can teach them to read, and teach them to think, they have the tools to learn anything else they want or need to for the rest of their lives.
Don’t just spread this around. Currently it isn’t a popular philosophy. Worse, I am teaching the poor and disinfranchised kids to think.
Oh your kids are Thinkers – to be sure! Sometimes their thoughts AMAZE me! And so do your teaching techniques!
Melli — My kids are more vocal than most because I allow them to express their personalities, I don’t want little Stepford Students. gOh, and — good amazed or bad — as in apalled?
Quilly, do you also teach the kids to respect themselves? I found that is what I did the most of when teaching drama.
Ah well, it’s always the slightly psycho teachers that have stuck in my mind over the years.
Mumma — I teach the kids to respect themselves and each other.
Silver — I think there was a compliment in there somewhere. Ouch!
Excellent. Then you truly are a great teacher! Thinking, reading and respecting. That’s pretty much all the core skills you need in life.
Mumma — once those are mastered, one can pretty much manage his or her own life lessons.
You keep teachin’ those kids to think, Quilly. Maybe they’ll grow up to be my audience. You’re convinced I don’t have one thanks to that T word …
OC — I am not convinced you don’t have an audience. When you moan about your blog stats, I just tell you, that T word makes people very uncomfortable. My students included. :*
Quilly, I assure you…that was a compliment. I’ve always liked the psycho teachers…especially my 11th grade English teacher. I nearly cried when I found out she wasn’t teaching anymore, she was promoted to Assistant Principle!
Siver — I figured it was a compliment. I was just being contrary. Onrey is my middle name.