Monday, November 24, 2003
I get to school every morning at 6:30. It's dark, cold, rainy (usually), and not many other people are there. My room is normally incredibly cold, so I hustle around in my down jacket and scarf, checking my email, straightening desks, writing the agenda on the board.
About 7am, the hallways come alive. I'm first alerted to this by Kayla, one of my first period freshman, who has a very recognizable walk. She shuffles up to my room and I hear her through my closed door. Like clockwork, every morning, Kayla trudges in, shoes untied, 40 lb. backpack slung over her shoulders. "Morning Ms. Mullen," she mumbles, in a friendly, 14-year-old sort of way.
So my day begins.
Most mornings I have this strange realization about 7:15 that I'm actually a teacher, and I will see near to 120 teenagers in my classroom today, 25 at a time, and I'll be ALL ALONE with them, trying to discuss Thoreau or The Odyssey, or Shakespeare -- the furthest thing from their minds. Sometimes it's a nervous feeling similar to intense apprehension, sometimes it's flat out fear, but lately it's been a calm, strangely reassured feeling. Of course, some days are good, some days are bad, but the bad days are lessening. Slowly.
There are kids who I realize will always make it difficult. Not because they purposely set out to make my job hard (I very much doubt if Stephanie in my 6th period class decides, "I think I'll mess with Ms. Mullen today."), but nevertheless, there are some individuals who can make me feel inadequate as a teacher. Stephanie, for instance, is an attractive 16 year old girl from Hawaii. She began the year with strait A's, and now has straight D's, a problem I am convinced is caused by her infatuation with the opposite sex. Now, most teenagers are, by nature and by surroundings, extremely social creatures very interested in their boyfriends/girlfriends/crushes, etc. However, Stephanie has taken it to a new level. She spends most of her time in my class flirting with every male in the room. She stares, bats her eyes, licks her lips, adjusts her shirt to an even more revealing fit. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before, and I must say I'm usually so shocked I don't know what to do about it. I've tried moving her seat, talking to her after class, emailing her mother, and even writing her a detention. It's gotten better, but my God, what does a teacher have to do?? It's much easier to corral the boys -- at least they just grin sheepishly and lower their eyes when I ask them to quit goofing.
Ah, such is life with teenagers. Frustrating, fun -- but always humorous in one way or another.
About 7am, the hallways come alive. I'm first alerted to this by Kayla, one of my first period freshman, who has a very recognizable walk. She shuffles up to my room and I hear her through my closed door. Like clockwork, every morning, Kayla trudges in, shoes untied, 40 lb. backpack slung over her shoulders. "Morning Ms. Mullen," she mumbles, in a friendly, 14-year-old sort of way.
So my day begins.
Most mornings I have this strange realization about 7:15 that I'm actually a teacher, and I will see near to 120 teenagers in my classroom today, 25 at a time, and I'll be ALL ALONE with them, trying to discuss Thoreau or The Odyssey, or Shakespeare -- the furthest thing from their minds. Sometimes it's a nervous feeling similar to intense apprehension, sometimes it's flat out fear, but lately it's been a calm, strangely reassured feeling. Of course, some days are good, some days are bad, but the bad days are lessening. Slowly.
There are kids who I realize will always make it difficult. Not because they purposely set out to make my job hard (I very much doubt if Stephanie in my 6th period class decides, "I think I'll mess with Ms. Mullen today."), but nevertheless, there are some individuals who can make me feel inadequate as a teacher. Stephanie, for instance, is an attractive 16 year old girl from Hawaii. She began the year with strait A's, and now has straight D's, a problem I am convinced is caused by her infatuation with the opposite sex. Now, most teenagers are, by nature and by surroundings, extremely social creatures very interested in their boyfriends/girlfriends/crushes, etc. However, Stephanie has taken it to a new level. She spends most of her time in my class flirting with every male in the room. She stares, bats her eyes, licks her lips, adjusts her shirt to an even more revealing fit. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before, and I must say I'm usually so shocked I don't know what to do about it. I've tried moving her seat, talking to her after class, emailing her mother, and even writing her a detention. It's gotten better, but my God, what does a teacher have to do?? It's much easier to corral the boys -- at least they just grin sheepishly and lower their eyes when I ask them to quit goofing.
Ah, such is life with teenagers. Frustrating, fun -- but always humorous in one way or another.
