I am sitting alone in the back of the classroom.
I
am sitting alone, with no space of my own.
I
am sitting alone, unable to make connections.
I
am sitting alone, struggling to find my own place.
Will
I ever feel welcomed?
Will
there be a day when I can take total control?
Will
anyone take me seriously?
Will
they participate?
Will
they stare off into space and fail to provide even monotone responses?
When
I take charge, everything will work perfectly!
When
I take charge, not one pupil will respond.
When
I take charge, each student will demonstrate enthusiasm in participation.
When
I take charge, no one will approach the board.
This
is my time!
This
is my chance to prove that I can be a teacher!
This
is my opportunity to create lessons that students will remember!
This
is my interval to capture the students and change the world!
This
is my time to make a difference.
Thanks for this piece of poetry, and also for helping me proofread my own. I can really relate to the amount of uncertainty one faces when they step in front of the classroom. I can't help but agree with the uncontrollability and and self-questioning feeling that you've presented here. How can we ever know if what we're planning is going to work? Surely there will always be days when it doesn't, right? It's a tough career path, but there are many others alongside us, facing this same internal deliberation. Hopefully, it passes a bit with time. Thanks for this awesome work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian! And part of teaching is learning along the way what will and won't work for our students, and remembering that what works for one class does not always work for another. However, as we get to know our students better, we will realize which lessons and strategies they will respond to during lessons.
DeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your poem. I liked how I could relate to your first stanza completely! I also loved that this turned out to be a motivational reminder that when it is our time to take control things will go accordingly (for the most part).
Happy Blogging, Destinee Manns
Thank you, Destinee! I hope things are going well for you in your placement. This has been a challenging one for me thus far, but I am learning so much!
DeleteBest wishes,
Stephanie
Dear Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your poem. I really enjoyed how creative you were in asking the questions that all future teachers ponder. It is sometimes overwhelming wondering if everything will workout. It's that feeling before teaching a lesson and hoping that students get it and participate. I found your last stanza truly inspiring because the truth is, "this is my time." It is that dedication and enthusiasm that will separate the mediocre teaches from those that "change the world."
Thank you,
Lindsey Wiggins
Thank you, Lindsey. It has been a struggle and can be disappointing when students don't always participate/respond in the way I had imagined, but I am learning how best to deal with that type of situation. Thanks for your encouragement!
DeleteStephanie