The Good Teacher

So, I'm in the library on campus (exciting for two reasons: first I can still get in even though I'm no longer a student and two I can still check out books!)

Anyway, I was just browsing and the title of a book caught my eye: The Good Teacher, by Alex Moore (LB 1725.G6 M66 2004 -- anyone on campus reading this (c!) should really check it out!).

Lately I've been thinking very seriously about going into teaching. It's one of the things in 3rd grade that I had said I wanted to be when I grew up (granted also on that list at one time or another was a ballerina, or a saint ...). Yet, this past year especially when I think about what I want to do with my life, there are few things I can think of that feel worth my life. I want to teach young children, early elementary school I think, in either an at-risk school or maybe special education. Young children who need just a little bit more.

As I've been considering this, this question, posed by the title of this book, is something I've been pondering. Because while I have thought of teaching before, I also have some reservations. Can I be firm enough, provide enough structure and not just be a push over? I think one of the primary roles of a teacher, especially for the age of children I want to teach, is to create the class room as a safe space. An importan part of that is structure and discipline, that the rules are known and enforced, as well as a caring warm atmosphere. I can do the warm and caring -- and young children and I tend to get along very well with each other, but the structure and the rules I will have to be very intentional about.

Anyway, just a few thoughts. later!