I'm Only Human.

"We must not be afraid to show that we are human, nor to let our real personality emerge before our students. If we have a lively and humorous side, our students will respond to it with joy. If we have also have a thoughtful, serious side, glimpses of it at the appropriate moments may lead our students into the exciting world of thought." (pg. 559)

This final chapter of Neman discusses how above everything else in instruction, we must be human.

That sounds kind of like a no brainer to me and my first thought is, "What are my other options than being human?" I discussed on my post related to this chapter that many of my professors talk about how it is not just our job to make sure students achieve academic success, but we also have to care for their social lives, home lives, and extenuating circumstances going on around them. But I think many teachers fall into a routine of being rigid with students or even just acting like they have it all together. My mom and my sister are both teachers, teachers do not have it all together.  I love what Neman is saying here because it was fun when teachers let their walls down and laughed with you.  I felt comfort when my teachers admitted their faults, apologized and moved forward.  And I will never forget meaningful conversations with teachers that ignited a passion in me to be that kind of teacher.

I never want my students to believe I am some kind of teaching robot and that I do not mess up, laugh at my mistakes, use resiliency to go on, and share with them each step up of the way.  I am not saying I need to bare my heart and soul with my students because it is important to keep some distance, but why not share somethings. Who knows what will be learned in those moments. We learn so much through observation and I hope as my students watch me that they learn how to never give up on themselves, they learn that it is okay to not know the answers, but they also learn that being kind to others is what maters most.

I hope to teach my students many things.  I want to walk them through the writing process and help them to see their potential.  I want to teach my students how to succeed and fail with a gracious heart.  The most important things I want to teach them cannot be assessed, will never be measured, and are anything but standard. Each student is unique and I look forward to the day when they learn how to be friendly, how to give sacrificially, and how to extend compassion to each person they meet.


Works Cited:

I used many wonderful sources for this project, and I would like to give credit where credit is due!

Neman, Beth S. "Teaching Students to Write: Second Edition". New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Print.