The most challenging part of my job

This past week I had my first negative encounter with a student this year. I was in a classroom supporting a teacher manage assessments, while I directed the class in a rather boring lesson. He didn’t follow directives on a couple of occasions so I kept in for recess and he became angrier and angrier. Later in the day in dropped in on the classroom and he was demonstrating a defiant, incompliant and disrespectful behavior. I was surprised how fearless this short fifth grader was towards his teacher and me. My stating his address or his mother’s name did not seem to faze him. On Friday, his teacher and I made a home visit to his mother, whom I had met before two years ago. The visit was friendly and illuminating. We got support from her, but we also realized that his home provided little if any structure for improving his academics—there was no expectation that C do any homework at home. We now have clear options if we encounter a defiant and uncooperative C.

But I realize that it is these clashes that drain me emotionally. Yes there is the physical exhaustion from managing the cafeteria or the play yard at lunch. There is the intellectual challenges of trying to solve scheduling problems or in finding pedagogical approaches that will work with particular students. But it is the emotional clashes with students or parents that is the most difficult part of my job. And I wonder how long I will have the inner resources to replenish me.

I also recognize the need to build up my cultural competence with my African American families. While our African American students comprise some 15% of our student body they represent over 50% of the behavior problems we have at our school. Building the bridge of trust between our African American families and the school is one of the most important challenges we must take on. I, as a teacher, must build my cultural competence with my African American students so that there is a presumption of trust and understanding so I can get beyond management and discipline and into instruction.

by Kalin & Xavier

Kalin by Xavier

Megumi, myself and Yoriko at City View Dim Sum in Chinatown