The Other Side of the Desk

Hello everyone. I'm back to give you a little insight on my J-term experience.

 

It all began this past summer. I was riding my bike to work one day and thought to myself, for some odd reason, "Maybe I should be a teacher." It was quite a long bike ride, so I had a lot of time to think it through. I decided that elementary and middle school were not right for me because I wanted to be able to discuss more advanced topics in the field of biology. I was also hesitant to take the college/university professor route because of all the school I would have to go through. So I temporarily concluded that I was destined to be a high school biology teacher.

 

Now, this kind of made sense. I have several teachers in my family, and admire each one of them for what they do. I like the idea of having summers free to use how I please, and I also think that it would be very rewarding to have a positive influence on young minds. As I think back to some of my best teachers, I can recognize what influence they had on me. If I could offer that inspiration or support to someone else, I think I would have some sense of purpose or satisfaction in life.

 

So this is where I am at. I am currently exploring the idea of becoming a teacher further by taking the required first course in the Education department at Luther. It is an off-campus observation period in which I am thrown into a classroom and given whatever responsibility the teacher allows. I am currently at Decorah High School, the same exact high school from which I graduated a couple of years ago.

 

This is very convenient in some ways. For instance, I do not have to get up ridiculously early and drive an hour like some other students have to. Also, I am familiar with the school and how it is run. However, with this convenience comes much difficulty. It was stated that we must maintain a professional attitude while in the classroom. We are there as future teachers, and must separate ourselves from the students accordingly. For me, though, it can be difficult to maintain that boundary when I know many of the students in the school. They know me as Collin, not Mr. Thompson. They know things about my personal life and who I am outside of this professional setting. It is hard to balance the relationships I have had for years, for some, and this new obligation to be professional.

 

Along with that come other difficulties. I am having trouble getting really inspired by what I am experiencing. I am realizing the bland repetition that is required when teaching six sections of the same course. I am concerned that I would get burnt out by the end of the day and not be able to offer my full self to the students. There are several factors that contribute to this attitude, and I won't bore you with them, but this experience is serving its purpose. I came into it wanting to know whether or not teaching was something I could see myself doing years down the road. And although I am still not sold one way or the other, I am getting valuable information about what it means to be a teacher; what the struggles are, what a typical day consists of, and what the rewards are. I guess I will just have to see how I feel at the end of the month.

 

I hope this blog post finds you well and happy. I wish you warmth on these bitterly cold days. Remember, though, there is something to be said for each season.

 

Peace,

Collin