A LAMB'S PRIDE
Pride. My school emphasizes PRIDE, an acronym of Personal Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, and Excellence. I embrace Respect, for it encompasses everything I want in my classroom: respect for other's thoughts, opinions and feelings. Environment is everything. With respect comes kindness. With kindness comes safety. If a kid feels respected, she will succeed.
The hurdle year after year is technology. The addiction my students have to screens and headphones frightens me. It's a battle that has taken its wear and tear on me over the years. Emotional wear and tear. It's exhausting. The CDC has now labeled screen addiction as a mental health crisis. Research shows that screen addiction leads to depression in kids. Of course it has. How can one feel connected to others while staring at a screen all day?
I've gone down that rabbit hole way too many times as well. One text leads to another. One post leads to another. One Like leads to another.
Shifting my attention to meaningful lessons has impacted my start to the year and I have enjoyed many laughs. My seniors are by far some of the best creative writers I have had in years; they are funny, intelligent, respectful and kind. I take pride in what we have accomplished in nine days; I count my blessings.
Sophomores are different. My approach, my teaching personality and my rules are completely different. I have to monitor everything. But the hard work reaps its benefits as well. As expected, phones have been the primary hurdle. They'll test me. "Testing Testing Testing." I had to issue a Saturday already and it sucks. After some work, the student came around and we both took pride in clarifying expectations and had some good laughs. She even took pride in drawing a lamb on the desk after we read "Lamb to the Slaughter."
The hurdle year after year is technology. The addiction my students have to screens and headphones frightens me. It's a battle that has taken its wear and tear on me over the years. Emotional wear and tear. It's exhausting. The CDC has now labeled screen addiction as a mental health crisis. Research shows that screen addiction leads to depression in kids. Of course it has. How can one feel connected to others while staring at a screen all day?
I've gone down that rabbit hole way too many times as well. One text leads to another. One post leads to another. One Like leads to another.
Shifting my attention to meaningful lessons has impacted my start to the year and I have enjoyed many laughs. My seniors are by far some of the best creative writers I have had in years; they are funny, intelligent, respectful and kind. I take pride in what we have accomplished in nine days; I count my blessings.
Sophomores are different. My approach, my teaching personality and my rules are completely different. I have to monitor everything. But the hard work reaps its benefits as well. As expected, phones have been the primary hurdle. They'll test me. "Testing Testing Testing." I had to issue a Saturday already and it sucks. After some work, the student came around and we both took pride in clarifying expectations and had some good laughs. She even took pride in drawing a lamb on the desk after we read "Lamb to the Slaughter."
No need for a Saturday detention after all.
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