The honeymoon stage is completely over at this point in the school year, and the best educators have a handle on their classrooms; others do not.
“Don’t smile ’til Christmas.” I think I heard that one from a School of Education professor once or twice, and I’d gotten it from countless veteran teachers as a newbie. New teachers need to master the concept of classroom management, and time-hardened educators, who seem to know best, say that an emotionless, stoic approach to the classroom environment is best. “It’s easier to get softer than more strict,” they say. The winter break just ended, and I can’t imagine being a stone-hearted, uncomedic adult for several months at the first half of the school year.
I get it. I do. It’s about respect. You can’t let your students see you at a vulnerable, happy state. I think that tactic can work, for some. Think for a moment, though. From August to December, imagine if you didn’t smile.
Something is happening to education. It’s becoming systematic, pragmatic, and problematic. All of that is fixable with new attitudes. As educators of people, we need to be there for people. We need to hear our students and be what they need us to be.
The humanity is being sucked out of education by professional development, by the “edu-guru,” by disenchanted veteran educators, and by the media. It’s being squashed by those who believe that teaching is more of a science than an art. I think Rita Pierson has it right. Experts in the field of education – and I certainly include educators themselves in that group – don’t give enough credence to the “value and importance of human connection.” Teaching is about building on experiences and relationships, and the most important relationships in a school are the ones between teachers and students.
Unsuccessful professional relationships are at the heart of every uncomfortable workplace environment. If we consider the children in our classrooms to be professional students, that is, their job is to learn, then why wouldn’t we foster a setting that is more conducive to learning?
Every action we take while working with our students should be filtered through their eyes, ears, and minds. How they perceive us and digest our words partly determines their success.