The most important thing that I have learned over the past year is that a teacher is one who wears many masks, all at the same time. There is a misrepresentation of teachers in today's world, and that is seen through comments being made like, "Teachers are only in it for the vacations," or "Those who can't do teach." In the wise words of one of my students and in reply to these seriously misguided, erroneous assertions, "You a damn lie."
The first mask a teacher wears is a scary one. It demands respect. It is the first implementation of your control over the classroom. It is your backbone. It contains your ethical beliefs on education, your reasons for becoming an educator, and your thoughts on how you want to impact your students. This mask is the fiber that holds your very teaching career together. There are times where you are broken down to wearing only this mask, and you will be on your knees asking, "Why did I do this?" The answer lies in the first student you see when you walk through the doors the very next day. I remember during my student teaching I returned home after a particularly stressful day and I saw my mom when I walked through the door and just started crying. I had been tried all day and I had been broken down to my very last thread. I had been stripped down to the very fiber that was barely holding my desire to teach. I would soon find out that days like these only made that fiber stronger and more durable. This mask is the most important, and is a foundation to a healthy and successful career as an educator.
The second mask is the attention getter. It can be humorous, depressing, eccentric, but most importantly, eye-catching. Students need a reason to listen to you that is greater than their grade. You have to employ some tactic to grab their attention. It takes practice and malleability to conform to the wants and needs of each class, as they are all very different. This mask for me is humorous. That is how I reach my students. Corny jokes, the element of surprise, and smiles are my weapons on the battlefield of education. This mask varies for some, for if you can't hold their attention, you are not likely to make the largest impact possible.
The last mask is a character mask. It could be motherly, fatherly, sisterly, brotherly, or friendly. This mask speaks testament to the fact that teachers are not just teachers. They are role models, friends, support, coaches, mentors, sponsors, counselors, and the list continues to grow along with the needs of our students. If I had a nickel for every life talk I had with a student, I would be able to pay off my lunch room bill in the cafeteria. I always think of how I will be remembered by my students. Will I be a positive memory or one that is just lackluster? I want to be a CHARACTER in these students' stories. I want to be the reason they made a turning point in their lives. I want to be a catalyst for their own achievements. I want what is best for them.
I keep a list of every roster that I have had while teaching. So far, with student teaching included, I have been responsible for 15 different rosters, totaling to 486 students. I gaze upon the names, classes, and subject matter. what stands out the most is the fact that only positive memories come to mind. I started this practice so i could see everyone that I impacted. The biggest lesson I learned is that these students had a far greater impact on me. This list will only continue to grow. It will grow exponentially as there are so many of them and so few of us. So for any teacher or anyone afilliated with education, wear your masks. Be everything you can be for your students. It is why we wake up and it is why we have trouble falling asleep. With this being said, I'm making a notch to signify the end of my first year of teaching and the start of a career in which I hope students will flourish.
Sincerely,
Mr. Medlin
