It is usually May when this happens to me as a teacher. I get crabby. One of my students will ask question, and I think, can't you figure that out on your own? I then proceed to answer their question with an attitude. That is a bad attitude. It certainly doesn't make me feel great about myself, and more importantly, my students suffer.
Crabbiness happens to all of us teachers. It is what we do about it that will make us different. Let's brainstorm.
- Share with another teacher your heart. Explain what has been happening and commit together to a positive outlook.
- Give your students a heart to heart. Be truthful and apologize for being crabby. Your students will certainly lift your spirits.
- Take a personal wellness day.
- Make a list of why you got into teaching.
- Commit to 100% concentration when the next student asks a question. Kind of like saying "Drop everything and Answer the Question"
Dave
It looks like you may be taking the same classroom 2.0 that I am. I actually found your blog through the channels of the Week 9, podcast section. I was checking out your podcasts on how to teach math on a smartboard. I am currently downloading it from itunes. I teach math at a high school in CA and I am currently going through the crabby period. Snapped at a student yesterday because she asked why does the Remainder Theorem worked. I apologized after class and worked through it with her. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteYou are good to apologize. That is extremely difficult to do. I think students appreciate that we are human and will admit our mistakes. You are a good model for us.
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