Best job in the world
November 25th, 2009 by Michael WeaverOne of the great joys and great trials of being a principal is supervision of teachers. It can be tedious and it can be affirming. Last Friday, it was the latter as I sat in on a class with a teacher who almost did not come back to teach this year. He had a rough year as a “newbie”, struggling to find his teaching voice, trying to discover the “light switch” in his students. Most did not respond. They challenged him and rebuffed his efforts to help. He got discouraged. But thanks to some supportive fellow faculty members (and hopefully some words from me), and a summer away from it all, he came back renewed. He was confident and composed and ready to meet the masses head on. As the semester progressed, the talk in the Faculty Room was about how much he had grown. Comments from students revealed much the same.
On Friday, I spent an entire period in his class. I was gobsmacked right between the eyes. This formerly shaky instructor was in full command of his students. He moved effortlessly from working at the board to standing supportively at the side of a student, guiding him through the lesson. He fielded questions, diagrammed problems on the board, and joked with the boys, all in a seamless display of professionalism and grace. When the closing bell rang, he had “the look”, the one that all teachers get when they finish a successful class, drained yet at the same time energized. His face said, “That was fun!” And it had indeed been just that, for him, for his students, and for me. Some days, I really love this job!
November 25th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
sometimes it takes maturity.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
if the teacher is young they still think young..it takes time to mature and have experience.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:11 am
That's a really sweet story. Teaching sounds like such a rewarding job, although I just don't see myself doing it. I also have to challenge the title (not seriously though, of course). The best job in the world is definitely that one in Australia last year where the guy gets a 6month contract for $150,000 and travels around the Barrier Reef islands... now theres this new job called the Second Best Job in the World where you get to be a one month "shopping consultant," travelling to 7 different countries, etc. It's not as rewarding as teaching, but it is the opportunity of a lifetime! So teaching I guess would fall under the category of 3rd best job in the world! haha
November 28th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I had to laugh at this post because it reminded me of my first year teaching too. What the underlying message here is that teachers in the State of Hawaii must have vision to move beyond the daily stand and deliver. As demonstrated by the State of Hawaii they can at anytime under the guise of budget reduce salaries, reduce time, reduce contact time and so forth. With that said, those teachers who think that their job are secured...well, the great State of Hawaii has proven otherwise...with that said, teachers in the State of Hawaii should be more accountable...should be more apt to embrace differentiated curriculum...more apt to embrace the changes of a society that is no longer predicated upon the notion of just a single race teaching their children. Yeah...look whose running the darn place the old Japanese clans....There is no diversity...no proof of major changes...same old thing...no accountablity....AYP anyone....makes me think ALL teachers in Hawaii should reflect at their first year of teaching and perhpas draw upon a strong sense of urgency to better teach our students....perhaps all this up roar is really good to change how we deliever our curriculum in the most effective and productive way and not fattening our pockets at the expense of our students.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Nice story Mike. Been there, done that.