Things I have learned and not learned.....

I am learning so much about teaching and what works with 7th graders. Contrary to popular belief they don't teach you everything in your college curriculum.

Things I have learned:
1) Raising your voice is not effective:
They get this enough, it's almost like they are immune to it.
2) It's important to do non-teachery things when your not at school:
School cannot consume my life, if it does I won't be effective as a teacher
3) Document everything:
parents will want to know, students will want to know, administration will want to know, and you will want to know just exactly what did happen two weeks ago.
4) Students will tell you anything:
They don't have censor. Some things they tell you they don't know it is out of the ordinary from another family. Or if they do know, they don't care
5)I am blessed to teach at TMS:
It's a great school and a great district. The faculty staff and students at TMS are all wonderful and wonderful...is there another word for wonderful?

Things I haven't learned:
1) How to control talking...raising my voice doesn't work
2) How to show love, God's love, to these babies:
and yes they are still babies. I have to be assertive and structured. I can't be their friend. I have to be an authority figure. I want to show them Jesus.
3)How to balance administrative things like grades, parents, etc. with my actual teaching and classroom things.

FUNNY STORY:
I was sitting at the lunch table with other teachers. The teacher sitting next to me says "Did you see that?" Four of my students had just toasted with their milk cartons. PRECIOUS!! See they are still.....babies. Precious babies!

MoW