Tone and Meaning

All last year, the challenge of conveying an effective balance of Warmth/Demand was a high hurdle.

I think I got better, at least.

I learned my lesson when I met my cousin from California this spring during a family visit to NYC from California with his parents, my uncle and aunt-in-law.  I saw my brother swoop down and lift him up in a playful manner, "fun uncle" style.  I was fighting every breathe of my teacher's mentality coming out of me, but I let a little wisp come through.

I didn't lecture or anything, I simply taught him about things that were helpful for him, and spent time with him that would stimulate his thinking and understanding- playing a math game while waiting for dinner, looking at paintings upstairs before dessert came.

At the end of the night, I thought I had been the more-mechanical-serious-teacher-cousin, until my cousin came over to me unprovoked, and gave me a great big hug.  As I looked over him, my uncle gave me a thumbs up and a look that showed that this was not a common occurrence.

Wow, that happened.

As I met my students in the last two days (some for the second time), I saw myself realizing my lesson in my practice: Treat these students like you would your own family.  They are children seeking guidance, support, and connection, at the same time as expectations and structure.

When respect was not maintained, I did not chastise, but rather told them why it was disrespectful, and maintained their dignity.  After issues happened in class, I saw them in the hallways and had calm, supportive, and clarifying conversations.

I don't know how this will continue into the future, as these were just the first two days, but I feel much more at home with myself than I did last year.

Here's to the family.

Round 2

Round two has begun.  

(This post is a bit incoherent, a part of my warming up to get my writing chops back).

Amidst a summer of 9-5 grad school classes four days a week (thank you to the professor who planned her behind off making a summer class engaging. Not so many thanks to the professor who decided that reading off from a textbook printout every day, talking for 2 and a half hours at us, would help us stay awake and learn something), not a single day went by when I wasn't thinking about something I could do differently this year.

How will the expectations be strong and clear from day 1.
How will I convey myself as intensely caring and no-nonsense, while calm and able to connect in a genuine way.
How to manage my meticulous, systematic nature to give order in the classroom without betraying my past of serious bouts of OCD.
How to work with many of the same students I had last year, and be able to up the tone and expectations.
How to be a presence in the classroom and school that I want to be.

To say they were on my mind a lot is a gross understatement.  I had over a dozen "first-day dreams" in July, some great, some not so great.

For those teachers who will be wondering during their first year about whether it can be better- the second year is different:

In a high attrition school, kids seeing a common face gives them some certainty and constancy in their life.  It was amazing how many kids (particularly the gentlemen), wanted to shake hands in the first week.  I felt like I was on Cheers.

Experience makes a difference-Mistakes will be made in the first year, I made many.  I learned.  I grew.
 
In a plug for Teach Like a Champion, Cold Call, Emotional Constancy, Strong Voice, and the J Factor (stories in particular) make a big difference.

Consistency and planning are the keys to teaching.  If you want it, expect it always.  If you don't, address it.  Always.

Personally, I was concerned that looping with my class for year two into 7th grade would make changing the teaching persona much more of a challenge.  Kids have an interesting way of changing as easily, and it was surprising to see the difference.

The question now is, for me and for them, what else can be improved upon?