Sometimes when I am out walking or shopping I run into some of my students.
Sometimes I experience the frustrations that all teachers may face: students are embarrassed to see their teacher in public, students are with their parent(s) and don't want to connect the two relationships, students are shocked to see that their teacher is a real live person who has a life outside of the classroom, etc.
For example, last weekend when I was out with a friend I spotted a middle school student walking with her friend. I knew exactly what was going to happen, but I made the effort anyway: "Hi Lisa!" The student gave a polite head bow but kept on walking with her friend without saying anything.
Yet, happily, sometimes there are students who make you feel like your classroom teaching has effects in the real world.
A few days after my disappointing experience with the one student, another girl, a 6th grader, saw me before I saw her. I was with a co-worker, so there we were, two western males in a sea of Korean people, yet this student waved at me and when we approached her and her friend we chatted easily.
Yesterday I had two student interactions in public; in both cases they were 4th grade boys and they were excited/interested to see me in public and we talked a little.
Perhaps I need to do more in the classroom to prepare my students for these types of exchanges . . .
Sometimes I experience the frustrations that all teachers may face: students are embarrassed to see their teacher in public, students are with their parent(s) and don't want to connect the two relationships, students are shocked to see that their teacher is a real live person who has a life outside of the classroom, etc.
For example, last weekend when I was out with a friend I spotted a middle school student walking with her friend. I knew exactly what was going to happen, but I made the effort anyway: "Hi Lisa!" The student gave a polite head bow but kept on walking with her friend without saying anything.
Yet, happily, sometimes there are students who make you feel like your classroom teaching has effects in the real world.
A few days after my disappointing experience with the one student, another girl, a 6th grader, saw me before I saw her. I was with a co-worker, so there we were, two western males in a sea of Korean people, yet this student waved at me and when we approached her and her friend we chatted easily.
Yesterday I had two student interactions in public; in both cases they were 4th grade boys and they were excited/interested to see me in public and we talked a little.
Perhaps I need to do more in the classroom to prepare my students for these types of exchanges . . .
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