I teach ESL at a Middle School that is an akward combination of the "haves" (rich kids- the Provo LDS Elite) and the "have-not's" (50% free and reduced price lunch!). It's a bizarre group clumped together in an 80 year old building. We also have a weird ethnic mix- about 50% caucasian and about 50% minority (mostly Hispanic). I think I was born to teach this group of kids at this school.... It's like a microcosm of my life, I think. It literally is like if you took half of Doerre Middle School in Klein TX and smooshed it together with El Capitan Middle School in Fresno CA... (my two middle schools).
I also firmly believe that I was born to teach this age group, because my sense of humor has never really matured beyond this point. I don't mean that this is my dream job (far from it, actually)- just that everything I have ever gone through in my life leading me up to this point appears to have been preparation for my work here. Here are a few supporting arguments to back up my theory.
Case Study Number 1: Friday we ended 7th period 3 minutes early to allow time for a Sumo Battle. Two boys shoved pillows in their shirts and ran at each other full speed while grunting as the rest of the class cheered them on. I considered this to be time well spent. Surprisingly the skinnier kid won.
Case Study Number 2: Today after state testing a boy asked me if he could just crawl under his computer desk for the remaining 10 minutes left in class and pretend he was in a fort. I agreed on the basis that it remained a 1 man fort, and that said fort did not engage in military aggression against other students. He remained silent and out of sight until clean-up time. I was a little bit jealous.
Case Study Number 3: My 5th period class has a secret handshake that involves fist tapping and a strategically placed snap of the fingers... which I taught them.
As you can see, after everything said and done, I appear to have made the correct career decision. It's not really what I expected, but it's pretty satisfying in a round about way.
What job were you born to do?
And since we're on the topic, my dream jobs would most likely be Interstellar Space Rogue or Hot-Shot Brooding Archeologist, both of which appear to have been inspired by Harrison Ford's illustrious movie career. I wonder what that says about me?
What job were you born to do?
And since we're on the topic, my dream jobs would most likely be Interstellar Space Rogue or Hot-Shot Brooding Archeologist, both of which appear to have been inspired by Harrison Ford's illustrious movie career. I wonder what that says about me?
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