I have recently taken a closer look at my students and how they interact with one another. I love teaching the younger age because they haven't been jaded yet when it comes to helping. Whenever I drop something or another child spills something they run to help clean it up. Before now I would get all anal and tell them to go back to what they are doing. I am very controlling and set on everything going in order. Today I stopped and saw the beauty of it: they run to help without any encouragement on their own. I need to learn that interruptions in a day's schedule can be ok. From now on if a teacher drops something in the hallway and my student's get out of line to go help I am not going to instruct them to stay in line and keep going because we are on a time schedule. Sometimes its the little moments that can become the best lessons. I have to stop being impatient and let life happen.
I never want to be responsible for dampening the willingness to help others in my students. When I look at the older grades in my school I see how different they are and it breaks my heart because I worry that my "babies" will one day act the same. At what age does it all change?
My mother (God rest her soul) wouldn't teach above 3rd. grade. She said exactly the same thing.
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