Confessions of a Pre-student Teacher: “Day One” of Each Semester
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Me
Core 1:
I am superwoman! -Bound to save the minds of America’s youth from
illiteracy and bad fiction!
You are skeptical. I watch as you slouch, uninterested in your
plastic pen at the back of the room. With squinting eyes, you steal darting
glances as you decide how to eat me.
Core 2:
I am now acutely aware of the responsibility that I owe to you, and I
am intimidated.
You do not look impressed. You are quiet and never raise your hand.
When you do, it’s always a hard question that I don’t know how to answer.
Core 3:
I am learning! I am excited to see you every day and look forward to
the new things that we will learn together.
You are inquisitive. You raise your hand more now and you smile and
laugh with me as we talk about your reading experience.
I feel accepted, valid, and needed. You come to me as much or more than
you do others when you need help and clarification. I am beginning to learn my
role in your life as a student and as a person.
You sometimes ask for help with things that you should be able to do on
your own. I am learning to support and encourage you (without giving you all of
the answers). This is because I care. It is not because I do not care. You are
important to me and I want to help you grow.
You are growing, and I am so proud of you! I knew you could do it and now you do too!
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You
Core 1:
You are an imposter! You walk like a teacher and look like a teacher,
but you speak like a student.
You are looking right at me, and I wonder if you are an administrator
or maybe a social worker; we have so many. I try to read the name tag that is
dangling from your shirt, but the print is too small.
Core 2:
You fumble with words as you attempt to answer my questions and
explain an assignment.
I am worried. School is hard enough for me, and now I am beginning to
wonder if you know what you are doing.
Core 3:
You are laughing and conversational. You eagerly listen to me
describe how I felt about the reading assignment and freely respond to me.
I am interested. I know that you are learning but that you can help
too. I am starting to enjoy working together on new things.
You are nice. Are you my friend or my teacher? Maybe you are too nice,
but that’s okay because you are helping me learn and I’m actually having fun too.
Maybe this year won’t be so bad after all.
Sometimes you are not as nice as I thought. I was beginning to think that
you were on my side, but you are starting to seem like all of my other teachers.
I’m not sure if this is okay or not. I’ll let you know.
I am doing it; all of it--And because of that, I am proud of me! I am
growing!
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