not like to throw anyone out of the room, but I confess that sometimes I will suggest that a
student go for a walk with the pass for a little while.
Nothing about teaching is easy and sometimes I have to remind myself that they are just
“kids” and that many things are going on in their lives. My motto is: “I struggle for my stu-
dents, not against them.” Fortunately, I have not had to handle a physical conflict in my
classroom, but I believe a teacher has to be willing to break it up. That is part of showing
that you care about the individuals involved and the classroom community.
It is important to establish patterns for community relationships and conflict resolution at
the beginning of the school year. But even then, students must continually be reminded
about the decisions we reached on how we will relate to each other. Instead of lecturing the
class about behavior when I do not like the way they are acting, I use group work activities
and projects to reinforce my ideas about working together and caring about each other. I
continually experiment with new student-centered group activities. I find that when school is
fun and relevant for them, students will be more willing to cooperate with each other and
they will learn more. I put a lot of effort and time into figuring out how to be interesting and
motivating. It is worth it to me because it eliminates many of the problems that otherwise
come up in class.
I advise people who are thinking of becoming teachers to spend a lot of time with chil-
dren and talk with them about what they like and do not like. Teachers need to be up to date
on the realities of teenage life including movies, music, styles, books, and television shows
and should be familiar with the neighborhood where they plan to teach. I also recommend
eating right and getting plenty of exercise because the job requires a lot of energy if you are
going to do it right! But the most important part of teaching, at least for me, is the struggle to
show kids that you really care about them.
***JOIN THE CONVERSATION—A SUCCESSFUL TEACHERQuestions to Consider:- In your view, what qualities make Rachel a successful teacher?
- How did she figure out how to be successful in the classroom?
- Were her life experiences handicaps or sources of strengths as she became a teacher?
- What aspects of her approach to teaching do you agree with or disagree with? Explain.
5.If you were on a school’s hiring committee and knew about Rachel’s history as a stu-
dent, would you have interviewed her for a job or hired her? Explain.
SECTION D: HOW DO “CORNY TEACHER JOKES”
HELP YOU TO BE “REAL”?
I used to tell “corny teacher” jokes to my own children during dinner. If I got a pause fol-
lowed by a groan, I knew I had hit it just right. The purpose of the corny teacher joke is not
to get a belly laugh or to have your audience rolling in the aisles. That would be too distract-
ing and interfere with the flow of a lesson.
The corny teacher joke is like a change-up pitch in baseball. It succeeds because it is un-
expected. It catches the attention of students who are “drifting off” with a statement that is
incongruous, and by catching their attention, it brings them back into the lesson. It also
helps relieve tension.
COMMUNITY 159