I am always amazed at how these students we work with every day reach out to us in such a special way.
I have two daughters, 9 and 5 years old. They are extraordinary and supremely special creatures, and the connection I feel with them is unlike anything else. I also have nearly 100 12 and 13 year olds in my classes, each one a special, unique individual full of promise and surprise. The connections generated between my students and myself are unlike anything else.
I hope you also feel a strong connection to your students. I’ve occasionally met the teacher who had shut themselves off from this connection. I always was left wondering how they managed to finish each day without that connection. I get so much just hearing the kids say goodbye at the end of a day or laughing at a joke or telling me that I am the weirdest teacher they’ve ever had- a supreme compliment!
Not connecting with your students is like not tasting your food or like just watching the snow fall and never playing in it.
Or like hearing music but never feeling it.
Get out there. Make some real connections with your students. They are hungry for that connection. And when you find yourself most tired and frustrated, they will fill you up.
DarrenB