Last Friday afternoon I came home from work and thought about how my job is so awesome I’d like to tell the world. So I could use my blog for that and since there has been said lots about teachers these days – and although we sometimes are still called heroes, it’s often not very positive – I figured why not? Here’s a look behind the scenes of a teacher’s life.
Second hour, biology, first year group | While this group of 25+ kids (they really are still kids, just 12 years old and the youngest of our school) come into my classroom like a storm, I’m thinking to myself I must come up with something to make them come in like a breeze without losing their enthusiasm. Meanwhile I’m standing in front of the classroom, looking at them expectantly (which does the trick), while Anna’s smile at me says she’s ready to hear what we’re going to do too. I smile back and tell them we’re going to look at our own inner cheek cells under the microscopes today, looking for differences with the plant cells we saw earlier. Without them saying anything, I feel their eagerness to start and although I know it will look like chaos in a few minutes, I also know I can trust them to work on this task properly. They do. I hear ‘wows’ and ‘look at mine!’ And I get lots of questions, from ‘is that dot the nucleus’ to ‘could you please help us enlarge the view of our microphone’. When at ten the bell says we have a break, it still seems like the lesson just started, they learned loads and Robbie concluded biology is awesome.
Third hour, biology, second year group | Subject of the last few lessons in this class had been the nerve system and I just drew on the white board in which steps your eyes, nerves and brains make you aware of seeing things. And although I’m assured my brains look rather funny, they get it and draw their own notes, without me having to tell them to (well, I suggested it would be smart to do so). Most memorable comment of this lesson came from Davy though, who genuinely stated he actually learned something today. Naturally, I did also get the ‘why do I have to know all of this, I don’t want to become a doctor’ when I gave them homework before, but mostly they are interested in learning (especially about how their body works), without them even realising.
Lunch break, somewhere in the hall | While I’m on my way to copy a few things, one of my colleagues asks me something about my mentor class, but she’s interrupted by the colleague at our service desk, who has a parent on the phone for me. I promise the parent to e-mail them before the end of the day and I give my colleague advice. I have to ask my boss something myself, but he’s in a meeting so the question has to wait on my to-do-list. Then I sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy the stories of fellow teachers as I think it’s often like we’re in a pub, but without the alcohol obviously.
Fifth hour, stand-by, no class | It’s the hour on my timetable I don’t have to teach, unless I have to fill in for someone else. It’s a good system. And I don’t have to today so I have 45 minutes to mark some tests and fill in grades. We don’t have assigned offices, but as creatures of habit I usually find myself opposite the colleague I shamelessly borrow nearly everything from. Of course I’m only allowed to steal the paper punch if I pay him in confetti. We do also discuss the serious side of life every now and then.
Sixth hour, biology, same second year group | On my agenda is an experiment on how you learn; letting them experience how their brains remember things. We love experiments of course. But then one of my students, let’s call him Alex in this piece (I’ve made up all the names to ensure privacy), walks in very upset. He’s crying and the whole class is upset for him and they want to tell me all about it. I improvise and decide that it’s better for them and my lesson to hear them out, we can then still do the experiment and they’ll just have to write the report about it at home. Apparently Alex had a big disagreement with one of my colleagues. To make a long story short; sometimes the best thing you can be for someone is a sympathetic ear. That’s my lesson of the day.
Eighth hour, Dutch, different second year group | I teach more than one subject and I teach in very different classrooms. This one still has that old black chalkboard and I let Suzan be the teacher for a moment, while I take her seat. She visibly gains confidence while writing down the answers in chalk as I encourage her. We’re done early, so we share weekend plans and out of the blue Jade wonders out loud why she likes me as a teacher even though I’m kind of strict as well. I do appreciate their honesty. Then the bell says it’s actually weekend and I see the Sun coming in through the window. I look over the other side of the building, as I did back when I was a student here, and I think of how lucky I am.
I walked downstairs to get a few things from my mailbox and realised I’m trying to open it with my home mailbox key. I guess that’s how at home I feel here, approximately a kilometre away from my actual house. So is there never any disagreement? Or moments where I think I’m going slightly mad making sure I’ll not forget the hundred little things I needed to take care of? Of course there is. But I’m there when kids discover their bodies are made up of tiny cells and I see them grow. I help people and they help me. I teach and I learn. And the things I do make a difference. It did for Alex at least. But I don’t think about that on a daily basis, I just have fun doing all of this. My mum’s partner recently asked me what I’d do if I’d win a lot of money and the first thought that came to mind was: I wouldn’t quit my awesome job.
