Without first-hand knowledge, one cannot hope to fathom painstaking tasks; this life truth especially pertains to teaching. Whereas most students take for granted teachers’ hard work and dedication, we set out to discover for ourselves what it takes to be an educator.
Remembering this life truth, we embarked on a journey to absorb teaching knowledge and investigate the hardships of the profession. We entered kindergarten and second grade classrooms as student interns.
In response to the September editorial, “Apathy kills learning,” and in an attempt to “set us straight,” our mothers mapped out our journey and were the prime instigators of our initial student teaching experience. As teachers themselves, they believed our opinions to be unfairly biased, and therefore deemed them invalid.
George Plimpton, a famous American author, set an example for us to follow on our plight. By utilizing his theory that a writer can better understand his subject matter by “”walking a mile in their shoes,”” Plimpton became world renown. He died on Sept. 25 at the age of 76.
Plimpton’s participatory journalism career illuminated our path. In similar fashion to Plimpton’s one inning major league showdown with Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays, we prepared for an epic struggle with children whose sole purpose seemed to wreak havoc on our mental stability.
Although we were ill versed in the methods of teaching, we both possess a genuine love for children – an essential component enabling us to connect with students.
In order to instill in them a desire to learn, we needed to rely on patience and meaningful interaction with the students. Therefore, recess was a welcomed respite from our stressful day. Both of us enjoyed the ball field and joining in games of pitch and chase.
We did spend a disproportionate amount of our time keeping discipline in check. The challenges of teaching skills to either age group were difficult.
Whereas the challenges in kindergarten and second grade differ, they also contain many similarities. One of the most challenging aspects was dealing with the extreme variations in the childrens’ skill levels. While some could already read, others couldn’t cut out a circle.
Finally, the day came to an end and we were left exhausted and grateful for our experience. Despite the difficulty of our mission, most of our views remain intact.
Teaching is an exasperating profession; it requires time, patience, organization and extreme effort. However, those who love children should consider teaching a joy. We encourage teachers to stay the course because you are making a difference and are appreciated.
