The first day back.
Yes, already. It’s crazy, right? I mean it’s still July. July. Like a month in the summer. And, yet I find myself back at the school, sitting in meetings and having discussions about what we can do better.
Before all of that can take place, we have a little musical chairs of sorts. We received name tags (bleh) with numbers on them assigning us to a certain table (and then two other tables).
We went to the first table. I had a little square around my number, so I was the "leader." We had to fill out a little form about ourselves: name, what we teach, where you can find us, in school and out of school activities, etc.
We went around the table meeting everybody (it actually turned out good because there are quite a few new teachers). I was last.
"Hi. I’m Krystyn {lastname} and I teach chemistry. This is my sixth year at {High Risk} High School."
To which the response I get from an older lady with a heavy Russian accent, "Ooohhhh, jou arrrrrrre mean! And, you look so cute and sweet."
What? I’m sorry, you didn’t know who I was two seconds ago, and now I’m "mean"? You are going to take the word of your students who come into your room in passing and complain about me? The teacher that wants them to walk out of her class with some knowledge of chemistry?
I guess a "mean" teacher has expectations, requires homework, requires class work, wants you to understand things, expects you to learn and pay attention, requires you to do labs and won’t pass you because you are there.
So, if that’s what makes a "mean" teacher, then yes, I’m mean!
*****
ETA: This same woman was also overheard (by me) asking another teacher if she was pregnant. She wasn’t and isn’t, and didn’t look like it, either.
Oh, and two separate people asked me if I’ve lost weight. Nope, I haven’t. But, I now have two new friends.
(And, obviously, I don’t teach English, because I wrote "proceeds me" instead of "precedes me" in the post title. Yeah, I’m smart!) I could only wish that my reputation proceeded me…then I might be rich!
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Sounds like she needs to be referred as “the teacher without an inner monolague”.
If you get 1of your students excited about chemistry and the ambitioin to go on to college then being the “mean” teacher has been worth it.
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