Days of Absolute Bliss

There I was; a student-teacher in the unknown world of the wild middle school jungle. I was armed with books, my brain, and a few other things they can't possibly teach you in education or methods courses. Survival of the fittest comes to mind when I think of how the first couple of weeks has been. Delving deeper into this mystery of the middle school and all of its inhabitants that thrive and sometimes, yes, sometimes die. There are many factors that play into the nurture and evolution of a middle school student, but these students...oh dear...there are so many issues. Issues that cut deep into their fragile adolescent hearts, that fester and puss inside them if the right kind of help isn't administered.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg, and there will be more posts on that issue, but back to my story...There I was; dutifully teaching my seventh graders the mysteries of word processing and the wonders of poetry and then it hit me, like a rock smacking me in the back of the head, my students were learning! They were learning and they were learning from me! Sometimes the mysteries of the world would mean nothing if there wasn't that switch that came on inside your mind from time to time. I love to teach. No question about it. This may be a dangerous jungle of middle school students, but I am pretty sure I may just be the lion-tamer some of them need in their lives, to help them get back on track. I am a role-model for these kids, and no amount of college could have ever prepared a person to teach at this level. Interesting.