One of the things that takes some getting used to is the fact that people actually take the time to read the things that I post.
Astonishingly, it would appear that my readership has grown to the double digits.
My ode to a student who dares to wear steampunk welder's goggles (which you can read here) made me nervous for a day or two. I feared I would get email from concerned relatives of the student, saying that I had somehow traumatized said student by mentioning him in my blog.
Surprisingly, the opposite was the case. I got some genuinely kind emails from folks (not just this student's family) saying that it was wonderful that I wrote about this student. People need encouragement and approval, they said, and to let this student know that there's an adult who prizes their individuality is an awfully good thing.
To which I say: this works both ways.
I would love to tell you that I'm able to work without the slightest concern as to whether students respect me, or, for that matter, like me. I would love to tell you that I am able to make all of my decisions without the slightest thought as to my own ego. I would love to tell you that I completely, thoroughly, totally understand that school is all about the students, and that as a teacher (okay, librarian), 100 percent of my concerns involve nurturing my students intellectual and emotional growth, and I'm able to completely shut out any desire for their approval.
Alas, I am human.
I know. I get it. I cannot let concern over student approval get in the way of the need for a disciplined and well-run classroom. I cannot let this concern get in the way of stepping in when I see student disrespect of any kind, be it for the school, for teachers (and librarians), or other students.
(I need to stop, by the way, and underline something: ESPECIALLY OTHER STUDENTS. Few things bring me closer to the boiling point than witnessing students disrespecting other students, either through physical torment, or even more insidiously, through verbal taunting. Anyone who said "names can never hurt me" never attended middle school. Hating is real, and it destroys the soul, particularly in this modern age of social networking; I find it disgusting.)
(Oops...another digression before I go on. I don't have too many iron-clad rules for my blog, but one of them is this: I WILL ONLY WRITE POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT MY STUDENTS. There are a number of teacher blogs out there that complain about students; this will not be one of them.)
So...anyway. About receiving student approval:
Heck, it's a nice thing.
Yes, the graphic at the top of this blog entry is from a student's Tumblr blog, and the student in question sent me a link to that entry. I would be lying to you if I told you it didn't make my day.
When you work in a school, you live in something of a vacuum. You don't really know what students think of you behind your back. There is, after all, that vast world that exists beyond the boundaries of school, which is that world of The Rest of Their Lives, when they talk about what they really think of you, and, occasionally, empty those thoughts into their text messages, their social network posts, and, yes, their blog entries.
It is a life affirming thing to have a student let the world know that you are doing the right thing.
To that student, I offer my sincere thanks.
(And, by the way, to said student, I offer my sincerest apologies for not including a link to your Tumblr blog. It is worth explaining why, and in doing so, might help shed a light on the minefield that is writing about students at the school in which you work.)
(The world of the middle school student--in fact, the world of anyone between the ages of about 11 and about, oh, 30 or so--is replete with expressed thoughts and feelings that may not always contain words and ideas appropriate within the walls of a middle school. I do not use these words or expressions in school, and, in fact, to set an example and be a role model, I don't use them in this blog.)
(I want students to express themselves. At the same time, I have a reputation to uphold. Alas, posting links to student blogs invites an avalanche of implications and insinuations that will tie my writing to my student's lives. Sadly, even in the virtual world, I must draw a line.)
(So, though I don't provide a link to this student's blog, I nonetheless, once again, offer that student a sincere thanks for the shout out.)
(And by the way...the zombie thing has to do with a research project I have students do in which they study how to survive in the event of a zombie attack. As any reader knows, this is a valuable and useful skill to teach the future of this country.)
