I think...
I think I just made some 8th grader's day a little better. Who knows? Maybe I made her life a little better.
I've been observing at Arlington Middle school, as my previous post will tell you. The kids have been a bit more settled the past few times I've been there. I think they were showing off for me that first day.
But anyway, like at the elementary school, I felt a connection with some of these kids, and I noticed one in particular that looked like she needed a kind word or two. Her name is Catie, and she's one of the few white kids at this school. She's a very pretty girl, and will probably grow up to be a model or something like that. Catie is by no means stupid, but she is not going to be the next Einstein, either- then again, how many of us will be? I believe her problem was that she just didn't think through her answers fully before saying what was in her head. The kids, being kids, were pretty ruthless to her at times, even a boy who I guessed to be one of her close friends by the amount of time they spent with one another. She seemed to get pretty bummed by this, after every comment. I've been noticing this over the past couple of days I've spent in that classroom, and today I finally had enough. Her face was what really motivated me to talk to her after the teacher was done talking to the kids.
I leaned over her desk and said, "Catie, can I give you some advice?"
She said, "Sure." I'd recommended a book series for her to read the other day, so we were already on pretty good speaking terms and such.
I paused for a moment and looked around, making sure there weren't other kids listening in. "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're stupid," I told her seriously. She was watching me the whole time, and as soon as I said this, she smiled a little and looked relieved. "I don't think you're stupid by any means. I know your teachers don't think you're stupid, either. They have you in high esteem, and they know that you can reach their goals that they have for you because they know you're smart. So don't ever let anyone make you think that you're stupid, okay?"
She smiled again and nodded, "Okay."
After that, she seemed a lot happier. I hope she'll be all right. I don't want another kid like her to have self-esteem problems just because of the cruelty of other children in the class. I know that she can make it- I see it in the way she applies herself and tries her hardest to understand the material.
It's stuff like this that just furthers my want to become a teacher.
I've been observing at Arlington Middle school, as my previous post will tell you. The kids have been a bit more settled the past few times I've been there. I think they were showing off for me that first day.
But anyway, like at the elementary school, I felt a connection with some of these kids, and I noticed one in particular that looked like she needed a kind word or two. Her name is Catie, and she's one of the few white kids at this school. She's a very pretty girl, and will probably grow up to be a model or something like that. Catie is by no means stupid, but she is not going to be the next Einstein, either- then again, how many of us will be? I believe her problem was that she just didn't think through her answers fully before saying what was in her head. The kids, being kids, were pretty ruthless to her at times, even a boy who I guessed to be one of her close friends by the amount of time they spent with one another. She seemed to get pretty bummed by this, after every comment. I've been noticing this over the past couple of days I've spent in that classroom, and today I finally had enough. Her face was what really motivated me to talk to her after the teacher was done talking to the kids.
I leaned over her desk and said, "Catie, can I give you some advice?"
She said, "Sure." I'd recommended a book series for her to read the other day, so we were already on pretty good speaking terms and such.
I paused for a moment and looked around, making sure there weren't other kids listening in. "Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're stupid," I told her seriously. She was watching me the whole time, and as soon as I said this, she smiled a little and looked relieved. "I don't think you're stupid by any means. I know your teachers don't think you're stupid, either. They have you in high esteem, and they know that you can reach their goals that they have for you because they know you're smart. So don't ever let anyone make you think that you're stupid, okay?"
She smiled again and nodded, "Okay."
After that, she seemed a lot happier. I hope she'll be all right. I don't want another kid like her to have self-esteem problems just because of the cruelty of other children in the class. I know that she can make it- I see it in the way she applies herself and tries her hardest to understand the material.
It's stuff like this that just furthers my want to become a teacher.