I cried yesterday in class. Not necessarily because it’s the end of the year... but my feelings were hurt.
Teaching is my passion.
Teaching is when I come alive.
Teaching is also tough.
Yesterday, I had a tough moment. I asked myself: Do I just keep going and act like what I heard didn’t affect me? Or, do I share being hurt by what was said?
I chose the latter.
I told my kids, “I’ve been holding back tears for fear of looking stupid, but I think it’s important for me to remind you that I’m human too. And, what was said hurt my feelings. I love you guys, and this is why I’m sharing my heart right now. “
After being honest, the room was silent.
I took a moment to get tissue.
I stepped out my door and just took a deep breath.
I realized I needed to walk back in... but what would I say now? I just wanted a redo. I think they did too.
It hit me.
I peeked in with a cheesy smile and asked them,
“Can we start over? “
The whole room looked relieved, smiled, and happily replied, “YES!”
And so we did. We continued. We laughed.
I shared my gift with them as my end of school year goodbye!
It’s not only about Math and Membean. Effective teaching is equipping and empowering our students through positive relationships. And sometimes, you just need to hit the reset button and “start over.”