Weekly Blog Posting #5: The End Cometh

Weekly Blog Posting #5: The End Cometh

“Maybe you should put some shorts on or something, if you want to keep fighting evil today.” – The Bowler

            This week capped off perhaps the most unusual week of my time in the classroom so far. Up until this week I had literally loved every second of time that I have spent with the students. It is very fulfilling to see them grow at such a quick rate, and even though it wasn’t that long ago that I was in high school, it still seems like they grow and learn at such a faster rate than I have ever been able to. Being a part of that process is wonderful… Enter end of the year.

            Now that the end of the year is palpable, especially for seniors, the students have begun to turn off quickly. Students no longer feel condemned to the prison that they see school as, but instead realize that release is imminent. All of the sudden, with only three weeks left, the students miraculously care about their grades to the point of being really irritating. Something about fielding questions about grades, especially from the students that haven’t cared for a second all year long, has really worn me out this week. I find myself sometimes ready for the end of the year, something which I hadn’t anticipated. Whether or not it is because of the rigorous schedule I have myself on currently, between work and school and other school, or just because the kids seem to have changed, I’m not really sure. But one thing is for sure, especially on Fridays, I find myself waiting for the end of the year.

            This was a big change for me, because I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the teacher that loves hanging out with the students regardless of their attitudes or actions. Maybe it was just one of those rough weeks that you can’t wait to put behind you. I think that’s probably it, I woke up Monday as ready as ever for the week and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment I have been in the class since that one day. I guess the thing that I learned this week is that regardless of the job, there are always going to be those days that just force you to stumble a little bit. Optimistically, it just ends up being preparation for next time.

            This gave me a new perspective on the teachers in the school. There are some teachers that have seemed as though they are always waiting for the end of the year, and at first I found it pretty hard to respect them. Now, I understand that it doesn’t mean that they aren’t dedicated to their job, maybe its just their time to stress out a little bit, which everyone, especially teachers. So, there it is, the new perspective I have on the colleagues that I have been immensely fortunate enough to work with in my time at the school. I look forward to each new week with them and the students regardless of how I feel.