Dec 10, 2021
An Introverted English Teacher’s Account of Daily Teaching
It’s late, but quiet in my living room.
11:30pm: Living Room
The holidays were loud.
It’s late, but quiet in my living room.
8:15am: Meeting
“How was your break?”
I ate Totino’s while building a $248,000 expert-level park in Roller Coaster Tycoon. My dopamine spiked. I took several baths. I didn’t have it in me to dry my hair this morning. My ear is ringing.
…
…“It was really nice. How was yours?”
10:00am: Class
“So if we were to decide on a main purpose for writing, what would it be for this author and this passage?”
…
“Was the author persuading, informing or entertaining us?”
“Informing.”
“Yes. Very nice.”
I don’t have it in me to ask for a complete sentence like we learned in professional development. I just can’t.
My eyelid twitches.
1:00pm: Another Class
“Today, we’re going to be in small groups with me working in one of them.”
I can do this.
“What this will look like is…”
I’m about to read a passage four times and help four sets of students. I can do this.
“This means that…”
Am I really about to read a full passage four times? I’d have them do it, but they don’t want to. And I don’t want them to have to.
I finally sit with my small group as others get started. They look at me, surprised to have a teacher…there.
I read the passage. We answer the questions. I give them sentence starters for their answers. They’re appreciative. We practice skills.
One looks at me eyes that know: This passage and questions are obsolete. The skills focused on don’t matter. These tests are making schools weird. School didn’t used to feel like this.
3:00pm: Class
“How are you, miss?”
“Doing okay, how about you?”
“Same. I’m tired.”
They know this story better than anyone.
“It’s quiet in here.”
“Yes it is.”
