Dear Fresher
Just done with your degree and entering the respected position of being a teacher? If you are walking in with an attitude that says 'this will be a piece of cake', you are in for a NASTY shock. Being a teacher is the most time-consuming, mentally-draining, sleep-depriving profession you could choose. No I don't mean to scare you away! Being a teacher is also soul-stirring and happiness-giving. It changes you forever.
Just working with all those young minds is eye opening. Allow yourself to experience it. Don't shut them out. Your students will show you new ways to appreciate the subject. If they don't then you should show them the beauty of what you teach. They may not see why it is important to know that carbon is tetravalent, but that is why you are there.
Be open to learning from them. In a day and age where answers are available at their finger tips (with smart phones and internet plans it literally is at their fingertips), you need to be able to accept that they may know a bit more than you. Yup, that could hurt your ego, but it's okay. Give praise to having a smart class. It really makes life easier.
Remember all those years when you wondered what the hell happened within the staffroom, well know you will find out for real. Teachers are people with lives beyond dustless chalk and blackboards. They have stories. They have mood swings. Most importantly they have their own set of problems. Listen to them just like you would listen to your family. As long as you are in school, they are your family.
As a student, watching a teacher flick the red pen across a page may have seemed absolutely fascinating. It takes less than a month of being a teacher to realise it isn't that fabulous at all. Correcting papers becomes such a routine, that after a point you actually know all the answers from memory (You will wish you could write the exams now. You would totally get 90%).
There will be times when you will wonder whether you were as painful as a student, Surely this is karma coming back to bite you in the behind. Why else would you get a class that makes you want to rip your hair out or throw them all out of the room? Yup. Karma indeed.
The summer holidays, the christmas holidays, the puja vacations are all amazing!! No other profession gets as much time off. However no one else has to use these holidays to correct papers, set papers and prepare for class. You are always on duty unlike your IT counterparts who whine at the month end and month beginning but at some point close their laptops and are off duty.
There is no off season in a teaching job. There are no relaxed moments in this vocation. There is however tons of love from students, overwhelming respect from ex- students, loads of memories created, and so much of happiness that cannot be described. It has to be felt.
So go on. Don't be afraid. Go ahead and be that teacher.The one that inspired you. The one that you keep in touch with even today. Be that teacher to some kids and see how amazing you feel.
Love
A teacher.
Just done with your degree and entering the respected position of being a teacher? If you are walking in with an attitude that says 'this will be a piece of cake', you are in for a NASTY shock. Being a teacher is the most time-consuming, mentally-draining, sleep-depriving profession you could choose. No I don't mean to scare you away! Being a teacher is also soul-stirring and happiness-giving. It changes you forever.
Just working with all those young minds is eye opening. Allow yourself to experience it. Don't shut them out. Your students will show you new ways to appreciate the subject. If they don't then you should show them the beauty of what you teach. They may not see why it is important to know that carbon is tetravalent, but that is why you are there.
Be open to learning from them. In a day and age where answers are available at their finger tips (with smart phones and internet plans it literally is at their fingertips), you need to be able to accept that they may know a bit more than you. Yup, that could hurt your ego, but it's okay. Give praise to having a smart class. It really makes life easier.
Remember all those years when you wondered what the hell happened within the staffroom, well know you will find out for real. Teachers are people with lives beyond dustless chalk and blackboards. They have stories. They have mood swings. Most importantly they have their own set of problems. Listen to them just like you would listen to your family. As long as you are in school, they are your family.
As a student, watching a teacher flick the red pen across a page may have seemed absolutely fascinating. It takes less than a month of being a teacher to realise it isn't that fabulous at all. Correcting papers becomes such a routine, that after a point you actually know all the answers from memory (You will wish you could write the exams now. You would totally get 90%).
There will be times when you will wonder whether you were as painful as a student, Surely this is karma coming back to bite you in the behind. Why else would you get a class that makes you want to rip your hair out or throw them all out of the room? Yup. Karma indeed.
The summer holidays, the christmas holidays, the puja vacations are all amazing!! No other profession gets as much time off. However no one else has to use these holidays to correct papers, set papers and prepare for class. You are always on duty unlike your IT counterparts who whine at the month end and month beginning but at some point close their laptops and are off duty.
There is no off season in a teaching job. There are no relaxed moments in this vocation. There is however tons of love from students, overwhelming respect from ex- students, loads of memories created, and so much of happiness that cannot be described. It has to be felt.
So go on. Don't be afraid. Go ahead and be that teacher.The one that inspired you. The one that you keep in touch with even today. Be that teacher to some kids and see how amazing you feel.
Love
A teacher.
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