Spring is supposedly here, but you couldn't tell it by the weather some days. I know I'm done with the cold and I know many of my students are to. But with the spring weather comes the fact that summer is just around the corner and students are ready for the vacation.
That mentality has already started to show up in the classroom. Students are done they are ready for their vacation and no homework. I will admit I am also ready for a bit of break, but I know we still have a couple of months still to go and in my room a number of pages still left to finish for the yearbook.
That end of year mentality is the big thing I have been seeing. I get it, students are done, even some teachers are done, we are all ready for a mental break, BUT, we still have a couple of months to go. We have to keep pushing and find that energy to keep going so that we can, hopefully, pass that same drive onto our students. This is the time to finish strong and not just say "the heck with it," and quit.
As teachers, we set that example for your students to follow and even though we may be done, we need to show our students how to push through that feeling and keep going strong through to the end. To use a basketball analogy (ode to March Madness), we are in the last 10 minutes of the game, with the score tied, we can keep pushing or we can just say 'were done.' Having played basketball, I won't quit till the end and that final buzzer sounds.
I will admit, I have had my days where I am ready to just say the heck with it, but I remember I'm the teacher and what I model to my students they will follow. I need to be that good role model and show them that yes we may all be ready for summer vacation, but we still have a couple more months to go and we need to finish strong.
It is also a time of transition and for those of us who work at the high school level we have to help those seniors get ready to make that transition to life. I have already seen the eyes become wet with tears as seniors realize their time in high school is quickly coming to an end and they will soon be taking their first steps into the "Real World." It's a tough transition, we as teachers know that and we need to take our experience and show them how to make good decision and give them that confidence to succeed.
Hope you all have a great week and enjoy the, hopefully, warmer weather!
Shannon,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is inspiring! I am completely in the exact same boat as you are in. I am physically and emotionally drained, and I'm just ready to toss in the towel (for a basketball reference :P). I have never felt so ready to be done in my life! Having senioritis in high school seems minute to the college "senioritis/student teacheritis" haha! As of today we only have 4 more weeks of student teaching and we'll be done. Crazy! This semester has gone by so quickly. Keep up the positive attitude and the encouragement for your fellow colleagues and students. You're keeping this team going!
Best of luck!
Ms. A
Shannon,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're keeping such a motivated and positive attitude as we move towards the end of the semester. I definitely have my days when I wake up and wish that I could sleep for a few more hours, but then I remind myself that summer is just around the corner and I can accept the fact that I still have a job to do!
Luckily my days go by very quickly. We are so lucky that we get to work with such talented students every day, and I know that's a huge part of it! I love having a job where I'm not constantly watching the clock because the hours drag by. Generally what happens is that I look up 6th hour and go "Oh my goodness, where did the day go!" I hope that never changes.
I think you're definitely doing a great job of keeping your students motivated by setting an enthusiastic example. When the students can see that you haven't checked out, they're less likely to do so. Keep up the excellent work, the end of the semester will be here before we know it!
Ms. Skidmore