Last Week
Midterms week last week. Ergo, exams week last week.
We have an exam on Valentine's day, and my students were mature enough to simply take it as one of those difficulties in life which do not need to be blown out of proportion. Better yet, they took it with a smile. They even gave me a pack of M&M's to greet me a happy Valentine's (and hope that I could be kinder with checking their papers). It'll be taking me longer to check all these papers, as I have 30 students per section, and three sections to check.
Being a teacher is fulfilling, after three years of being one I think there is some merit in me claiming this. What they told me about teaching was not far from the truth; there are days when you just want to flush yourself down the toilet and disappear instead of continue checking papers... and then BAM! -- something happens, nothing short of a miracle...
... that student who once took forever to say something is now speaking their mind.
... that student who once copied and pasted materials from every search engine known in the universe now tries to think of his or her own ideas.
... that student who once feared talking to you to consult finally realized that consulting should not be a power play, but teamwork.
... and finally, you both understand each other... and the semester is over.
Of course, there are also students who take a little longer to change. There are also those who would rather remain where they are, as they are. But regardless of their choices, both teacher and student leave that semester and that class with something in tow... a may it be a new perspective, or a new-found reason to stay the same.
I've been told many times that teaching is studying twice. I always agreed to this saying, though never really thought about it in terms of what the teacher takes away after a year or semester of teaching the same faces, the same people.
After each semester, there is that sense that it is over for them, but that it goes on with you...as the teacher who knows what kind of personalities, and challenging circumstances you would be facing in the next semester. And in the eyes of students, you are static, the same person, the same teacher who had the same standards and expectations year-in and year-out.
No. Each semester, I'd like to believe that I had to give up some old error in me, and in turn I had to accept my imperfections if I wanted to improve myself at my craft.
And that must be the beauty of it all. THAT is what makes it all worth it.
We have an exam on Valentine's day, and my students were mature enough to simply take it as one of those difficulties in life which do not need to be blown out of proportion. Better yet, they took it with a smile. They even gave me a pack of M&M's to greet me a happy Valentine's (and hope that I could be kinder with checking their papers). It'll be taking me longer to check all these papers, as I have 30 students per section, and three sections to check.
Being a teacher is fulfilling, after three years of being one I think there is some merit in me claiming this. What they told me about teaching was not far from the truth; there are days when you just want to flush yourself down the toilet and disappear instead of continue checking papers... and then BAM! -- something happens, nothing short of a miracle...
... that student who once took forever to say something is now speaking their mind.
... that student who once copied and pasted materials from every search engine known in the universe now tries to think of his or her own ideas.
... that student who once feared talking to you to consult finally realized that consulting should not be a power play, but teamwork.
... and finally, you both understand each other... and the semester is over.
Of course, there are also students who take a little longer to change. There are also those who would rather remain where they are, as they are. But regardless of their choices, both teacher and student leave that semester and that class with something in tow... a may it be a new perspective, or a new-found reason to stay the same.
I've been told many times that teaching is studying twice. I always agreed to this saying, though never really thought about it in terms of what the teacher takes away after a year or semester of teaching the same faces, the same people.
After each semester, there is that sense that it is over for them, but that it goes on with you...as the teacher who knows what kind of personalities, and challenging circumstances you would be facing in the next semester. And in the eyes of students, you are static, the same person, the same teacher who had the same standards and expectations year-in and year-out.
No. Each semester, I'd like to believe that I had to give up some old error in me, and in turn I had to accept my imperfections if I wanted to improve myself at my craft.
And that must be the beauty of it all. THAT is what makes it all worth it.