Today, I got a message from a parent telling me about a conversation she had with her son on the way to school this morning. He said:
“Mama, my teacher’s the best—you know why? You know, Mrs. Carlson never gets angry, even with so-and-so (read: a challenging student who I won’t name). She stays calm… maybe she gets a little bit of an attitude… but she never yells. I think that’s good.”
A little bit of a compliment and a bit of humble pie, but overall, I just think it’s hilarious. Kids see it all and aren’t afraid to say it. It’s true that I try to remain calm in the classroom, certainly that is best practice, but it is waaaay easier said than done (thankfully, the kids don’t always know what’s going through my head).
Some kids just really know how to push your buttons (a kid skill that transcends cultures). Some days it seems like everything you teach kids somehow immediately falls out of their brains (how!?) and some days it feels like they ate a bucket full of sugar before entering the classroom. I suppose those are the days or times when I get, “a little bit of an attitude,” as my student described it. Worse could be said. I do love my students.
Carlsons in Kigali 