Thebreakroom – Katie Kinder

Ode to the first year teacher!

I jump into my room, and see the mess

My first year teacher heart leaps, but I digress

I pull up the desks, and clean the boards

I sweat and sort the millions of computer cords

I decorate, I plan, I dream I can

I research, and watch, and learn the craft

Am stunned on the first day when a student gives me the shaft

I get red in the face

All my plans leave this place

I try to reign in my anger and mad

I can see the student is happy and glad

This is not what I dreamed of or planned for

As I march this student toward the door

The vet teacher finds me after school

I wished I was back in the pool

Her eyes twinkled and shone

She said “Don’t worry; you’ll grow

Tomorrow is a new day, and you’ve got until May

To hone this art, this calling, this path

The students don’t necessarily want to learn math

It’s life you must teach

And then you will reach

And touch the hearts of the kids in your room

And you won’t feel constant doom!

You will learn and grow

You will find your way although the tears may flow

Good things will find you, but it is messy too

Never easy

Always hard, but continue to dream, continue to plan

And believe you can

Our kids need you

Even the one who flips you the bird

Although it feels at times absurd

These kids will embed themselves into your heart

So, come on sweet first year teacher; the hard times are about to start!”

Normalize apologizing to kids; you aren’t too big for it!

As much as you should laugh and have fun with your students, it is also important to apologize. You are fully human, and humans make mistakes. Your students are adults-in-training, and they should be able to see adults they love apologize. Listen to them. Sometimes in this job, we misunderstand kids. We are trying to teach a lesson to 30 children in the same room. There is a reason education research shows that teachers make more second by second decisions than an emergency room doctor. Sometimes, we make poor decisions or mistakes.

A colleague of mine corrected a girl’s behavior in his class, and she became furious. He asked her to step outside of his classroom. When he got out there, the student explained what she was doing. The teacher completely misinterpreted her behavior. He apologized; they went back into class. She was grateful, and the lesson went smoothly the rest of the class period.

You will have those kids that LOVE to correct a misspelled word or grammar mistake on your board or assignment or quiz. I always laugh and respond with, “Wow, I must be a human being that makes mistakes. Let me show you my college diploma!” We laugh, we move on, and it is good for rapport with the class. Don’t get caught up in the “I’m the adult…blah, blah, blah. They shouldn’t correct me!” That is just an insecurity in your teaching. Kids should see that adults can have a growth mindset just like we ask them to.

I have reacted out of anger with a child before. I always regret it. It eats me up that night when I try to sleep, but again, I’m human as are you. When I have those types of situations when I know I need to ask a student for forgiveness, that is exactly what I do. I find the student before first hour, and I tell them how sorry I am. “I shouldn’t have reacted with such anger. I just know how awesome you are, and when you did _________(fill in the blank with whatever a middle schooler without a fully developed frontal cortex would try and say or do), I expect more from you.” 99 times out of 100, I get an apology back. “Why you losin’ sleep over that, Ms. Kinder; that’s just silly; we good now!” It strengthens the relationship, and in class that day, we can both focus on the task at hand which is learning.

Showing our students vulnerability allows them to see us as fully human and gives them the opportunity to drop their own school mask in order to also be vulnerable at school, and in giving them this, you are giving them so much more than mastery on a certain standard you must teach that day. Apologize when you should.

There are still seats in our one-day institute on March 30th! Sign up here: https://katie-kinder.com/the-spring-shift/

Check out these amazing people that will be with us for the day! We will have a great day of learning, laughing, and rejuvenation!

Meet Our Speakers