The Hook Before the Hook

Several things have happened this week that confirms, to me anyway, the importance of how I am viewed by my students. I came in with the mentality that I was there to teach - not to coddle, mother, cure, or befriend. My primary job was to IMPART KNOWLEDGE and whether they eagerly consumed it or if I was going to have to force feed it down their resistant throats, by golly those kids were going to LEARN SOMETHING.  Fortunately, for both myself and my students, I have found that no force feeding is required if my students feel accepted by me.  They crave my acceptance. In fact, I can have the most creative set induction Dr. Montrois has ever seen, and deliver the standards in such a way that even Dr. Barge would be impressed and it will fall on closed ears and distracted minds if they don't trust me with who they are. Rich, poor, black, white, sinner, saint, male, or female....it doesn't matter. My students need to KNOW that whatever is in their past I completely accept them for who they are in the present moment.  Then they will begin to trust me enough to learn what I have to offer.