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My 8th grade class in large part is extremely jaded about school. I can see it in their eyes when I talk to them about anything related to content or learning. Yes, they come alive when we discuss things they see as non-schoolie. Unfortunately, their idea about what is best for themselves stops somewhere between what I enjoy and what I should do to succeed. Usually it is way too close to the former side.
This isn't a pity party though, this is a reminder to myself that anyone can teach kids that want to learn. It is easy to walk into a class of bright, smiling faces eager to discover new knowledge. What is hard is to walk into class every day knowing that I face a battle that will often be lost. The real teachers walk into the class anyway.
I had a jaded 6th grade class last year. It was tough to motivate them, due in large part to the strict curriculum map and the skills that even I didn't find relevant (LCM, GCF, etc.) It was frustrating, but ultimately it helped me improve as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI expect it to be a tough go, there is a lot of things going into their feelings. Some of it is the curriculum, some of it isn't. I have a lot of time to try to get it figured out and hopefully make some progress with them.
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