This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bag lady
This week, I learned that I am a bag lady. I've realized that as a teacher, I am taking on my students' baggage. When a student confides that they don't have power at home, I find myself worrying about how they complete their homework, and if food is being cooked in the home. I've found that the issues they're going through keep me awake at night and I want to do all I can to help them. I realize that these issues are beyond my control and that the weight of their problems will only weigh me down. I guess that it makes me a good teacher because I care so much and I realize that caring so much will be detrimental to me the person.
Pamela, You are not alone. Although I do try to leave the issue at the school and I pray silently for the issues that my students have, and some of them are far to painful to think about. I have a student who's from South America and she's here with her father and she is 17 in the 9th grade and she says her father hates her and buys her nothing and will not allow her or her other sibblings to get jobs. Her mother is in South America and she wants to go back to her and cannot. Real sad I do continue to encourage her each day. So I say to you Pray and Encourage and let it go.
ReplyDeleteValerie