I was dumbfounded for a second, especially since I tend to be one of the more "fun" teachers during the school day, but then I realized he's right.
It is my obligation to be these kids' teacher before I am anything else to them. This doesn't always mean "fun" to kids. Granted, it is the first full week of school and the kids will eventually realize there are different types of fun, but overall, I lead a secret that is a little "more fun" and less reserved outside of school.
Where do we draw the line that separates our "secret" lives and the ones we present in the classroom? (and by this I mean to discuss more than the lines we already know - we don't talk about intricate details of our social lives, obviously)
What is your secret "more fun" life outside of the one you present in school?
By the end of the year I hope this student realizes that fun can be had just about anywhere, for both the teacher and student.
Interesting comment and question about the role of fun in school and "secret lives." I think that increasing the fun can increase the learning because students will be more engaged. It's tricky to do this in ways that don't derail the class though-
ReplyDeleteThought-provoking post, Kristina! My kids are always so surprised when they see me in the grocery store or at the park. Somehow they don't think that a teacher has a life outside of school. We're always in that role of teacher, aren't we? I suppose in a way that's good, but you're right there's so much more to us than our students are aware.
ReplyDeleteI probably push this line more than most teachers would be comfortable with. I don't have a problem telling my students funny stories about my life and how I grew up. I talk about how I was a biter when I was little and how a can of soup once exploded all over my lap at lunch. We are currently working on a memoir unit, and to get my students to brainstorm their own memoir topics, I told them multiple stories about my life--the time I rode donkeys up a volcano in Santorini, the time I got a detention in 7th grade for a missing spelling book--anything to get a laugh. I admit my flaws--that I am horrible at math and that I tend to get the "hangries" when I go to long without eating--and I think, for the most part, this is what allows me to connect with my students. I think, or at least I hope, they see me as a real person, not just the disembodied Charlie Brown teacher voice. I tell them my stories, they tell me theirs, and I think so many of them need their stories to be heard.
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