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I've decided that I love Primary School. The kids are gorgeous and thoroughly engaging. They're enthusiastic, respectful, they still love learning and they can still look up at the adults in their classrooms. It's hard to be naughty when you're not tall enough to look your 'adversary' in the eye!
It's been a couple of very trying days with Year 7. Their English teacher (the class I'm in) and their home room teacher are away on a camp and the kids have taken the opportunity to run amok. In all Miss Sunshine's 7.25 years of education I've never come across behaviour such as I have witnessed this week. What happened to those beautiful Year 6 students that were so lovely to spend time with? Where did they go? Something happens to them within the first weeks of Secondary School! Partly, it is to do with the casual relief teacher. Certainly today's teacher was better than yesterday's. But I am so incredibly disappointed in the kids themselves. They know better and most have parents who teach and expect better from their children. I certainly don't want to repeat this week's challenges. I'm so tired and my patience with my own children's nonsense is at zero.
On the upside I had a good chat with an unusual little soul who is quite misunderstood by his peers. I encouraged him to push through his dislike for group activities and find a way to be courageous and try something out of his comfort zone. After all, in schools, group activities are inevitable. You can't get through to Year 10-12 without coming to grips with it in some way. I know it'll be tough for him to do it, but hopefully if he knows someone in the room is cheering him on he'll be brave and give it a go. Who knows, he might actually enjoy some aspect of the experience!
I've decided that I love Primary School. The kids are gorgeous and thoroughly engaging. They're enthusiastic, respectful, they still love learning and they can still look up at the adults in their classrooms. It's hard to be naughty when you're not tall enough to look your 'adversary' in the eye!
It's been a couple of very trying days with Year 7. Their English teacher (the class I'm in) and their home room teacher are away on a camp and the kids have taken the opportunity to run amok. In all Miss Sunshine's 7.25 years of education I've never come across behaviour such as I have witnessed this week. What happened to those beautiful Year 6 students that were so lovely to spend time with? Where did they go? Something happens to them within the first weeks of Secondary School! Partly, it is to do with the casual relief teacher. Certainly today's teacher was better than yesterday's. But I am so incredibly disappointed in the kids themselves. They know better and most have parents who teach and expect better from their children. I certainly don't want to repeat this week's challenges. I'm so tired and my patience with my own children's nonsense is at zero.
On the upside I had a good chat with an unusual little soul who is quite misunderstood by his peers. I encouraged him to push through his dislike for group activities and find a way to be courageous and try something out of his comfort zone. After all, in schools, group activities are inevitable. You can't get through to Year 10-12 without coming to grips with it in some way. I know it'll be tough for him to do it, but hopefully if he knows someone in the room is cheering him on he'll be brave and give it a go. Who knows, he might actually enjoy some aspect of the experience!
2 comments:
It makes me happy that you're there to talk with the unusual little souls. I was one of them, and people like you made a real difference in my life.
frances
It warms my heart to think that I might just make even a tiny difference to a child's education and coping with school life.
Thank you Frances. It's an important thing to remember in the big picture of education.
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