Thursday, May 7, 2009

classroom notes #10: just a job?

Today I felt so frustrated with my kids. I keep pushing them to go beyond themselves, to think deeper with more complexity, to make themselves stand out and I felt as if I was talking to air. Is this the product of the Hong Kong education system? Is this the result of a culture where priority is on examination placement and everything else is not of their concern? And then I thought, am I asking too much of them?

I always tell my fellow teaching friends that whenever they feel angry, sad, or frustrated to remember that in the end, being a teacher is only a job and to detach themselves from any negative feelings but then it's not that simple. You invest in the well-being of your students both emotionally and mentally and the resulting mass of frustration steaming out is from seeing them not growing to the potential that you know is there.

*pulls hair out*

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