Snapping Mad: Beating the Education Out of Students Part 2!

I was volunteering at a local agency that provides services to children and teens, many of whom are labeled at-risk, live in poverty (or close to it), and are in foster care. I was hanging with my kids, in the dinnertime chow line, and I hear her say quite snappingly, “I read your blog.”

Oh goody, a Fat Jack fan! But how did she know who I was? It just so happens that one of the ladies divvying out the food is none other than the student teacher that I blogged about recently. Do you remember? She’s the one who spent the day snapping her fingers at the kids. That’s right. I’m standing in line and at first I do not remember her, but she remembers me and apparently read my blog about her poor teaching techniques. Did she use that as an opportunity to reflect on her shortcomings and make changes for the better? Not a chance. Much like President Bush, this Evangel student dug in her heels and proclaimed: “That was just your opinion.”

I think to myself: “Holy crap! I cannot believe that I just ran into her.” I wrote that piece as a response to what I saw. I never intended or imagined that she would ever read my post. I asked her how she found out about it and she said that a friend read it and sent it to her. Bare in mind that I never once mentioned her name or the school in which this happened. Never. So a friend of hers reads my blog and knows it is her? Yikes. That does not bode well for this pre-service teacher.

I will not lie. I was shocked into a near loss for words. What do I say? We are in the middle of dinner and I am volunteering for these children and she just … snaps at me. I keep my head and do not want to escalate her. It’s obvious by her tone and look on her face that she trying hard to hide her emotions. I’m sure, had she been able to, she would have reached across the sneeze guard and given me a firm snap in the face, much like she did to her third graders.

“I hope it didn’t hurt your feelings,” I say as I pick up my tray and walk away. She announces that she has thick skin. Not thick enough, apparently, or she would have been professional enough to keep her personal problems out of her volunteer opportunities.

I cannot blame her. Who would not have been hurt to have a peer be critical of your performance? She is only human. The thing is, she could have, and should have, used that experience to reflect on her teaching and make corrections. I do it all the time. I do not think for one second that I am a master teacher. I am a pre-service teacher who will make plenty of mistakes during my first few years and throughout my career. Snapping at your students is disrespectful. Using that as your major mode of behavior modification is a serious problem. To not recognize that and make corrections is a sad commentary on the state of teaching. Schools of education are supposed to create teachers who are reflective and life-long learners.

I was in a class the other day. I recognized the students were restless because of me. I was not engaging them and I was not keeping their attention. It had nothing to do with them or a diagnosis of ADHD or any other external factor. I was the problem. I was relying on old school, direct instruction and I was failing. Why did I do that? I know better. I did not need someone in my classroom for me to recognize that I have more work to do. Had the principal noticed I would have had no choice but to agree, lest I lie.

It’s really no big deal. I am a pre-service teacher and I am supposed to be learning from my mistakes not pretending they were a figment of someone’s opinion. The same goes for this Evangel student. Any attempt to justify or deny her behavior is simply a fabrication based on ego. Now lets see. How many teachers have I had throughout my life that were egotistic and, in their own inflated opinion, never wrong? I have encountered plenty on the university level. The funny thing is that many of them are education teachers. Of all people, educators should know better. We sure can be a egotistical bunch.

I write this post knowing full well that this student may read it. Fine and dandy. I know it will upset her, but I think it is something that deserves to be considered, pondered, questioned, critiqued, studied and ultimately correctly. By engaging and distracting me while I am volunteering with children tells me that she needs to talk about it to. That is a step in the right direction, assuming she can do so in a professional manner, checking the ego at the door.

If you want to have a real discussion about this incident, without snappy comments and without children around, then you are welcome to leave appropriate flame-free comments. Please do not identify yourself. There is absolutely no need. This is about more than me or you. It is about teaching and doing right by our children. We both have things to learn and I suspect we can learn from one another.