Those Who CAN

Last Friday I turned in my teacher of the year portfolio.  While I wasn't looking forward to putting together the portfolio, it was pretty powerful.  I was able to take the time to reflect on my growth as a teacher. I had almost forgotten about my first year teaching on a cart (maybe I just tried to repress the awful memory) and the million and one first-year teacher mistakes I made. Bless Pat Lorenc for being my mentor teacher, because I'm pretty sure she helped me maintain my sanity. Thankfully, I had a classroom the next year, but it came with a partial contract (hello, debt) that was less than ideal.  I could continue to chronicle the years leading up to today, but that's not what this post is about.

This post is about everything that is impossible to teach in education courses.

1. A student who is angry and crying because it is the anniversary of her mother's death
2. How to handle the student who thinks it's grand to speak in a British/Australian/ accent at any point in the day...and then do cartwheels down the hall.
3. Providing consequences to students that actually matter (in case you wondered, ISS and OSS don't)
4. How to deal with a classroom of raging hormones
5. What to say when a new student arrives at your door who tells you he's been in jail for a year (nice to meet you??)
6. Remembering to take attendance
7. How to address 10 different questions at one time
8. What to say to a scared 14 year old who just found out she's pregnant
9. A student's death
10. How not to strangle a parent who is abusing his child
11. How to write recommendation letters :) I have this one down now!
12. How to work a copy machine (thankfully, I do not jam ours)
13. Finding a balance between your life as a teacher and your life outside of the classroom
14. How to say NO
15. Um, he brought a picture of WHAT? He showed it to WHO? OK. Um...let's go to the office

In case you're curious, all fifteen of those occurred over the past two weeks. 10 of those in one day. I could write a list longer than this, but I think you get the gist.  Teaching is about more than teaching...it's about making meaning of the experience we call life. And that is no easy task.