The Role of the Teacher

I have found myself saying the words "Stop complaining at me like I'm your mother" lately in one of my classes.  The comment, said twice, was met with mixed reviews.   First, silence, confusion, and then snickering laughter.  Not sure what any of those reactions meant exactly, but it got me thinking about the role of the teacher and how its often confused by students and adults alike. 

I've heard comments recently observing the amount of respect given to teachers.  And I'm not referring particularly to the general public view of a teacher's job, which is constantly being scrutinized in the media, although I do think its related.  I'm referring to the student-to-teacher interaction.  And also, the teacher-to-student interaction.   Teachers often describe their roles in students lives, and with pride, as being a person of multiple roles, myself included.  However, I'm beginning to question the helpfulness to this approach.  Teachers are already overwhelmed with responsibility, so why are we welcoming the responsibility of ALL THE THINGS in this world along with it.

Let's be honest.  A teacher is not a parent.  A teacher is not a brother, sister, or family member.   A teacher is not a friend.  A teacher is not a counselor.  A teacher is not a medical provider.  A teacher is not a police officer.  A teacher is not an entertainer.  A teacher is not a babysitter.

What is a teacher?  A Learning Facilitator. 

I gave a concert this evening.  There is a class I struggle with ALOT.  I didn't know what to expect from them this evening.  But, by golly, every single last one of them SHOWED UP, PERFORMED WELL, and HANDLED THEMSELVES WITH DIGNITY AND STAGE PRESENCE.  I did not have confidence in either of these things.  Because in my classroom, it is a different story.  Its a particularly immature group of students, and the most challenging group in my career.  And out of all the classes in 9 years of teaching and in two communities, they are the only ones that I had 100% attendance at the concert.  I'm baffled by them.  They are also the group of students that 3 hours earlier I started their final class period/dress rehearsal for the concert by sending 2 students to the office for inciting to fight one another.  I, also, instead of spending my planning period preparing concert details, I was frantically pulling a seat-work assignment out of my butt to fulfill my requirements of the one-and-only attainable daily agenda for them:  keep them busy.  There is very little teaching going on in that class.  Their level of immaturity and lack of respect for peers and adults has, often times, deemed them as Unteachable and Uncoachable.  Reminds me of the quote:  "Uncoachable students turn into unemployable adults" and this reminder upsets me greatly because I'm not fulfilling my role, as the teacher.

But, anyway, the purpose of my writing today was not to complain about my teaching deficiencies.  It was to describe that moment when I realized:  They are HERE, all of them.  They are performing beautiful music.  They are presenting themselves with dignity and maturity.  They.  Are.  Capable.

So the problem is:  the classroom.   I heard another teacher comment recently on how they notice that students don't respect teachers in comparison to other situations.  I won't specify what kind of situation: different school, different city, different country, it doesn't matter.  And I don't think the issue is "respect".  I think respect is a word that is often misunderstood.  Its more - is the teacher being treated AS A TEACHER?

To the student - A teacher is not a parent.  A teacher is not a brother, sister, or family member.   A teacher is not a friend.  A teacher is not a counselor.  A teacher is not a medical provider.  A teacher is not a police officer.  A teacher is not an entertainer.  A teacher is not a babysitter.

What is a teacher?  A Learning Facilitator.

A teacher is in a child's daily life in large and repeated doses for a short amount of time.  Teachers care about their students in a way different than their parents, friends, siblings, counselors, medical providers, police officers, entertainers, and babysitters.  I'm a teacher and I care so much my bones hurt.  Because if they are uncoachable when they leave my classroom, they are considered, at that time, unemployable.

#workyourproperdutytitle

And, oh my goodness, the loving care of a Middle School teacher is a force you can never imagine unless you have actually been one.  Middle School is a time of transition.  A time when they were previously cared for as a child to now being cared for as a young adult.  And every single darn last one of those stinkers reaches that transition from child to young adulthood at a different time.

I'm reminded again of my favorite teacher motivating video of all time, from Taylor Mali, and I think he summarizes the intended role of the teacher perfectly.  I've posted this before, and I am posting it again.  ENJOY!