#TeachingIs...What THEY Said...

       To celebrate TEACHERS May 5-9 and to join the social media movement with CTQ to do so, this Hope Street Group Teacher Fellow has been pondering a lot about what #TeachingIs. I just posted a blog entry with some of my thoughts (Paper, Meteor, Scissors...A Glimpse of What #TeachingIs), but it would be an injustice to let the opportunity go by without posting some thoughts of my ever so eloquent middle school students as well. I asked my 6th grade writers to simply finish the phrase "Teaching is...." with something other than a single adjective, and their responses have made me giggle. I thought you might want to see just how they define our profession....

There were those that made me chuckle and question my decision to join this career path...

• Teaching is so gross...you have to clean gum off of desks. 
• Teaching is like a social life. You meet lots of people, but they won't always like you. 
• Teaching is like the back of a messy car. The papers are always piled up.
• Teaching is putting the smart-mouthed children in the hall. (Who did it?!?!)
• Teaching is going to meetings and ruining people's lives.
• Teaching is totally crazy. Every year at least one kid throws up.  
• Teaching is the pain of having to write grades everyday. 
• Teaching is piles and piles of essays.
• Teaching is trying not to blow your top when a kid is being a turd. 
• Teaching is like zookeeping. They only think they have control. 
• Teaching is trying to cram bunches of useless knowledge into the little heads of some ungrateful snotbuckets. (No...seriously....don't hold back...)
• Teaching is helping kids to shut their pie hole. (This might be the gold medal winner :) )

There were those that gave me hope...

•  Teaching is like that annoying song that you hear on the radio everyday, but you just don't want to turn it off. 
• Teaching is making stupid into intelligence. (I'm still working on this one. :) )
• Teaching is a dictionary; it is full of meaning.
• Teaching is like eating leftovers. It gets better over time. 
• Teaching is inspiring young people to learn new things and grow up to do amazing things to help out the community.

There were those that made me go hmmm...

• Teaching is like cleaning your room. You try and cram everything in the closet, but sometimes it falls right back out. 
• Teaching is a learning requirement. (This one is really pretty deep. We KNOW they are learning....but what is the most influential teacher in their lives?)
• Teaching is an excuse to put off laundry because you have papers to grade. (There is a rather large pile in my abode...)
• Teaching is like a coconut. It takes a while to open up. (I should probably research this one on the beach.)
• Teaching is a specialty that you have to learn if you are ever going to have children. (So THAT'S the prerequisite we need to mandate... )

 There were those that made me proud...

• Teaching is like reading a book. When you start, you can't stop.
• Teaching is interacting with great students.
• Teaching is when you make your students want more. 

             Teaching is a desire to make children grow              and do what others cannot
             Teaching is a struggle of annoyance and thought.
             Teaching is hope for the kids
             And what's to come
             Teaching is a time to give
              Children some LOVE
           
There were those that made me smile...

• Teaching is sipping coffee to stay awake. (My students will forever connect writing to the scent of a fresh brew...)
• Teaching is listening to binders go ZIP! ZIP! ZIP! (Like seriously....every twelve and a half seconds)
• Teaching is hours and hours of planning and trying to find the perfect, challenging and fun lesson. 
• Teaching is like a new outfit....perfect. 
• Teaching is a gift. 
• Teaching is a creative thing.

There was that one (or maybe two) kid in class you know you all have....

• Teaching is a person spoonfeeding profound knowledge into the folds of our cerebrum that creates a promising future for humankind by proposing a positive insight of knowledge in preparation for us students. With information stored up we can use it to innovate and invent new/old products that will pose an easier lifestyle. With this, we students will thrive in information that will help life in the future. 
• Teaching is a comprehensive and expressive flow that travels through one's mind, ears, and eyes exploring the multitudinous points of life as your brain fluctuates through simmering waves of knowledge and unlocks the door into one's new and improved self to achievement and success as the world is revolving and evolving.

And there were those that made me realize the magnitude of this job...

• Teaching is like being the president. There is a lot of responsibility. 
• Teaching is helping students with life. 
• Teaching is the art of not only sharing your knowledge with your students, but also preparing them for all the obstacles that life will throw at them.  
• Teaching is the light to our future.
• Teaching is the idea behind everything.
• Teaching is being able to make a difference in today's world.

            Teaching is INSPIRING a young mind.
            Helping kids who are behind.
            Writing on paper that is lined
             To those kids you must be kind
             Seeing what info you can find.
             Knowing all of your students shined.
             Teaching is INSPIRING a young mind. 

From the mouths of babes, folks....