I know what you’re thinking.
You think I’m going to write about being rear ended today. My first car accident. Well, the kind with 2 cars involved… I hit a pole at a gas station once. I’m not counting that because the pole didn’t lie to me and give me a fake phone number.
But I’m over the accident… for this here blog post at least. The accident gave me a sinking feeling for sure, but so did this blog I read that was suggested by a friend on Facebook: http://blogush.edublogs.org/2012/11/13/i-cant-save-everyone/
The blog talks about how easy it is for teachers to lose sight of what’s really important: kids. Of course, this could really apply to anyone though… to anyone who forgets why they do what they do, or who start to focus on the details and forget to see the “big picture.” I know that I have done some of the things this post mentions. I have no intention of mark my roster with little check marks. I don’t need to. I can think of a handful of kids I know I haven’t gotten to know as well as others, and I can work on making those connections stronger to see if it will translate into better performance on their part. It will certainly on mine.
I’m not sure why I connect with some kids and not others. I don’t see much of a pattern now that I’m quietly checking them off in my head; a few girls, a few boys. Some with high grades and some closer to the middle. Of course, it seems like there are always some kids who naturally talk more who I get to know better, and I usually talk to those kids who do really badly more than either the kid or I probably want to! I have, however, gotten to the end of a school year and realized I didn’t really know all my students on a personal level. Thus the sinking feeling.
So those kids who I haven’t pestered yet… watch out! I’m coming for you.
slashtagpolo 