It's a fine balance.
Teaching teenagers.
You can get it wrong so very easily, and when you do, you are then written off, swiftly. Never to be given a second chance.
They do not suffer fools, at all.
I have seen many fall at the first hurdle.
Biggest mistake?
Try to be their 'pal'. It really doesn't work. Because you can't. You are their teacher. You have rules and guidelines that have to be adhered to, for their protection and yours.
Second biggest mistake?
Trying to act their age and use their language.
This is such a fail on so many levels.
I cringe to watch the ones that try.
So do my students. They are not impressed in the slightest.
It's a bit like that famous Annie Lennox song 'Walking on broken glass'.
Working with teens.
Suddenly you stand on a bit of glass and it hurts you.
I think it has taken me many, many years to feel as at ease and comfortable as I do now.
I think I know how far to push and what to say and what not to say-most of the time.
I enjoy the relationship I have with them. I work very hard to achieve this.
It takes time to develop, remembering all the little insignificant details of their lives, and asking about them regularly. This makes them feel you have really listened, that you care about the things that affect them, no matter how small or insignificant they maybe.
And I do.
When that is developed comes trust and mutual respect.
There is the old adage in teaching is 'don't smile till Christmas'.
I have had some classes where I have not smiled much all year. Just a whiff of letting my guard down and they have abused it. It takes time to work out who you can smile at and who you can't.
Developing a really tough skin is advantageous as well.
They sniff out any weakness and play on this.
I tend to be very self effacing, I joke about myself and my faults so they cannot! I get in there first.
Showing you are not perfect always goes a long way too. They can relate to fallibility.
Apologising for your mistakes earns respect.
Let's face it, who would we rather spend time with, someone who has it all worked out and whose life is perfect or someone who, like us makes some catastrophic mistakes from time to time, but can laugh about them and move on.
I truly love my job.
I love watching my students grow and develop and mature. I value the relationships I have with them, and the genuine fun we have together each week.
Don't get me wrong, I am tough, really tough. I work them very hard. But no one has failed in five years, I tell them they will pass, If they do as I say. I tell them so much they believe me and they do eventually pass.
I don't yell much. It generally does not work at all. I reason. I do a lot of reasoning.
I do yell at home. It doesn't work much there either, but it makes me feel better!
I do a lot of reasoning and negotiating here as well.
Teenagers are tough, but we were all teens once.
Thankfully mine were fairly traumatic years. This has helped me relate to my students and also remember vividly how I felt.
I got a huge compliment today when one of them turned around and said that I maybe old (thanks!) but I understood their world. They liked me.
I try to, I really do try.
Teaching teenagers.
You can get it wrong so very easily, and when you do, you are then written off, swiftly. Never to be given a second chance.
They do not suffer fools, at all.
I have seen many fall at the first hurdle.
Biggest mistake?
Try to be their 'pal'. It really doesn't work. Because you can't. You are their teacher. You have rules and guidelines that have to be adhered to, for their protection and yours.
Second biggest mistake?
Trying to act their age and use their language.
This is such a fail on so many levels.
I cringe to watch the ones that try.
So do my students. They are not impressed in the slightest.
It's a bit like that famous Annie Lennox song 'Walking on broken glass'.
Working with teens.
Suddenly you stand on a bit of glass and it hurts you.
I think it has taken me many, many years to feel as at ease and comfortable as I do now.
I think I know how far to push and what to say and what not to say-most of the time.
I enjoy the relationship I have with them. I work very hard to achieve this.
It takes time to develop, remembering all the little insignificant details of their lives, and asking about them regularly. This makes them feel you have really listened, that you care about the things that affect them, no matter how small or insignificant they maybe.
And I do.
When that is developed comes trust and mutual respect.
There is the old adage in teaching is 'don't smile till Christmas'.
I have had some classes where I have not smiled much all year. Just a whiff of letting my guard down and they have abused it. It takes time to work out who you can smile at and who you can't.
Developing a really tough skin is advantageous as well.
They sniff out any weakness and play on this.
I tend to be very self effacing, I joke about myself and my faults so they cannot! I get in there first.
Showing you are not perfect always goes a long way too. They can relate to fallibility.
Apologising for your mistakes earns respect.
Let's face it, who would we rather spend time with, someone who has it all worked out and whose life is perfect or someone who, like us makes some catastrophic mistakes from time to time, but can laugh about them and move on.
I truly love my job.
I love watching my students grow and develop and mature. I value the relationships I have with them, and the genuine fun we have together each week.
Don't get me wrong, I am tough, really tough. I work them very hard. But no one has failed in five years, I tell them they will pass, If they do as I say. I tell them so much they believe me and they do eventually pass.
I don't yell much. It generally does not work at all. I reason. I do a lot of reasoning.
I do yell at home. It doesn't work much there either, but it makes me feel better!
I do a lot of reasoning and negotiating here as well.
Teenagers are tough, but we were all teens once.
Thankfully mine were fairly traumatic years. This has helped me relate to my students and also remember vividly how I felt.
I got a huge compliment today when one of them turned around and said that I maybe old (thanks!) but I understood their world. They liked me.
I try to, I really do try.
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