Okay. The content I can do. I can make just about anything fun. But the content doesn't matter if you can't get their attention and keep it. The management is everything. I've read "Harry Wong" like its the bible, and I have all these theories in my head... but I don't know what WORKS! Even with months of trying things out. I still feel like I don't know anything.
The problem is that what might work for a bunch of 6th graders... won't work for 7th or 8th graders. I'm used to being a silly bastard. I can't do that with 7th/8th graders. How do I get my kids to participate and share and get excited and laugh... and then stop on command and work silently? How do I get that kind of respect? What do I say? What do I do? I need a procedure! A set of procedures!
I just... don't like being a bitch. I can do stern. I can project my voice into the next hemisphere if I have to, but I don't want to have to. I would rather be quietly authoritative. I want the only loudness from my room to be explosions of occasional laughter. I have to learn to be a master manipulator. Shit.
I would rather be respected than liked, but you don't get respect by riding a broom. I'm just not a cold educator. *sob* Please, somebody, help me! Help! I'm melllllllllllltingggggggggggg.....
1 comment:
I had this one teacher that was super quietly authorative. She had all the kids trembling in fear by just her name! Ok...so I don't think that's what you're aiming for here, but listen. I took her class, and she was not this scary giant of a woman...she was in fact this frail little old woman. She whispered when she talked, which got our complete silence, we were always waiting to hear what she said. She made jokes with the kids, and won their respect by being cool, yet strict. I learned more in her class than any other one.
I'm still not exactly sure how she did it. I think it was her reputation of being a total badass, combined with her eerie silence and smug smile. Totally the coolest teacher ever.
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