Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Venting after a frustrating day

Teaching at my present school is a trying experience. My biggest complaint about the school is that students do not show respect to themselves, their classmates, or their teachers. They don’t listen to me at times, and they don’t give me the respect I know I deserve. Sure, there are reasons why they behave this way: their parents yell at them and treat them like shit, for example. But why should I bear the ill effects of this malevolent upbringing? I treat my students with kindness and respect, and I do not get this returned to me. I know I signed up to teach here, but the biggest culture shock to me is the chronic insubordination students show teachers.

I’m going to a new school next year, and there are two possibilities waiting there for me. One: the students at my new school will be different. They will treat me with human dignity and, dare I dream, respect. They will understand I care about them and truly want to help them succeed in life. The other possibility is the one that keeps me up at night. What if the students at my next school are just like the students at my current school? What if they slap each other, cuss at teachers under their breath, and openly defy you just for laughs? If that is the case, I suppose I will find out quickly whether I am cut out to be a teacher or not.

What is the author’s tone in this passage?
a. content
b. frustrated
c. hopeful
d. nostalgic

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