Professionalism
"I have broken all my other teachers," said Louis, an exhausting student who had a hard, aggressive edge just beneath his playful, disruptive exterior. "But I haven't broken you yet. You're the only one I haven't broken."
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He told me this during my first year of teaching. Twice. Although ominous, I never fully understood what he meant by this statement. My best guess, after talking it over with the second years at my school, was that I had never full-on screamed at Louis like his previous teachers had. What Louis didn't realize, though, was I avoid raising my voice in anger whenever possible.
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That's an important part of professionalism for me. I would raise my voice in a sharp "Hey!" or "Class!" but I didn't scream obscenities when I was mad. It simply didn't fit into my teaching style. My students could push all my buttons, but I didn't snap and start ranting about all their individual faults. (Although, I have been known to lecture my students on the value of education, being respectful towards the people serving them, doing your work whether you enjoy it or not, etc.) And sadly enough, my students took me less seriously because of it. I refused to interact with them the way they were used to interacting with certain adults. I didn't threaten to hit them upside the head, call them stupid, or tear them apart in front of their peers. My students, although difficult at times, deserved respect, and they weren't going to learn to be respectful if I wasn't modeling that behavior. This isn't to say all my students were disrespectful, but what motivates students to be respectful if the teacher is not acting in such a manner as well?
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As a teaching professional, I followed the golden rule, "Treat others how you want to be treated." Even when I was upset with students or holding a hall conference about inappropriate behavior, I focused on correcting the behavior without belittling the student. I came to work on time, was polite, dressed appropriately, treated others with respect, and assumed the role of a leader. Children may not think you are being polite when you're assigning consequences, but it is important to establish behavior expectations for the classroom. In the past two years, I have emphasized with my students that every action has a consequence.
Being a teacher is an incredibly difficult job for many reasons. Wrangling children into doing something they don't want to is challenging. Giving students consequences for inappropriate behavior while they accuse you of being disrespectful is challenging. Getting students to improve their work ethic when they haven't cared all along is challenging. Acting professionally so students understand what it is like to function in a professional work environment is challenging. But it's important work, not only for student success in the classroom but for any future jobs they may hold as well.
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Read further on my thoughts about balancing work and personal responsibilities: The Pros & Cons
