Hello Again!
Week 6....can you all believe it? I sure can't. I feel like I've only been at my placement a week and yet some days I feel like I've been there for years. It's so funny how teaching is an emotional roller coaster.
Speaking of emotional roller coaster I wanted to bring up something that happened this week that I pray none of you will experience (at least any time soon). On Monday morning, I had to tell every single class about a student named Kevin Hutchinson. Over the weekend, Kevin Hutchinson (a 9th grader) was struck by a truck and rushed to Hershey Hospital.
What makes things even worse is that Kevin is in my 3rd period class.
I can't even tell you all how hard it was to press on and teach after such an emotional blow. I knew the kid for only 5 weeks and I was balling my eyes out. I was truly an emotional wreck and I just couldn’t seem to fake a smile.
A time like this reminded me of when I was dealing with a loss during high school and how hard it would be for me to concentrate...all of my teachers would give me slack and let me know that they were there if I needed anything.
Yet, as a teacher I don't have that luxury to be overly emotional and upset. In essence, I still had a job to do-- and let me tell you, it was honestly, the worst day of instruction I've ever had. I simply wasn't on my A game, and I can admit that.
On a side note, I just wanted you all to keep this boy, one of my students, in your prayers. On the positive side, he was moved out of critical condition and is now stable.
Going in a different direction, I wanted to talk about the relationship I'm building with one students. Lately my blogs have been about my instruction or certain activities and their level of success. However for this week I want to talk about a student who really makes me want to work with her.
The student's name is Shania and she is in my 6th period Option II (college bound) class. Yes, she is from the infamous 6th period, but let me assure you that she is always a pleasure to have in class. She is always the one "sssshhhinnngg" her classmates and saying "I want to hear what Ms. Goetter has to say,"-- and yes, for those skeptics I know she's not just being a brown-noser.
Anyway, Shania struggles with Huck Finn because she is not used to the language or dialect. She has come in for help multiple times and is always reading to take advice. She also struggles with the idea of satire. To help, I do a lot of one on one with her and it makes my day when the light bulb in her head starts to flicker.
Not only is she a hardworking student, but she is also a caring kid. On the day everyone got the news about Kevin, she stayed after class and confided in me. All I could do is give her a big hug and let her vent about her friend. I think it was something we both needed.
Now, Shania is always coming into my class to say hi or ask a question. I am really going to miss her when I go to my second placement-- she is the kind of student I would work all day for!
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Krysten, I am so very sorry to hear that I just can't imagine as a teacher what that feels like nor do I want to. I think you have done the best thing you can and that is to reflect and remain positive. On a different I think it is wonderful that you have connected with an individual student because frankly that is what we are meant to die, inspire the lives of those we teach. I too am having that experience and I tried to remember that when dealing with my more difficult students.
ReplyDeleteKrysten - What a crazy week for you! I'm glad to hear about your "friend" and student who you are becoming close to! I have a few of those girls who have already asked if they can come visit me at college! Haha. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with telling your students about the boy who was in the hospital. This week at my school we had a scare where a boy ran away. And he isn't the most stable person, so there was immediate talk of suicide. Thankfully, he was found and he is ok. But I can't even fathom how I would have told my kids about that! (And just a side note - isn't it weird how we do "adopt" these students? I realized about a week ago that I refer to them as MY kids!)
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