tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post7150616320130503411..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: Lifelong LearnerTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-62531098482949106182016-02-09T18:29:40.144-08:002016-02-09T18:29:40.144-08:00In my personal experience it is the passion for wh...In my personal experience it is the passion for what we do that can sometimes make us "bark" at other adults. We are putting so much energy into the children and there is so much going on that we are observing that the adults that are around feel like "one more thing" but they are not the focus and so one can maybe speak too brusquely as you put it to them. I used to feel this way anyway until I learned to slow down. I think part of the issue too when I dealt with was that not only was I working with a new class of students, but with a new assistant. Once an assistant has been working with you for a while or doesn't need so much guidance it can also be calmer. That is just my experience. I also think that barking is probably more tolerated if a man does it than if a woman does it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-77110297303041538322016-02-07T04:57:05.853-08:002016-02-07T04:57:05.853-08:00Yes. I recently spent an evening thinking about on...Yes. I recently spent an evening thinking about one girl who had sat under the art table in my classroom that day, which I took to mean she was frustrated by an activity we had been working on for ages that she couldn't get to 'work'. It was a rare instance of making something that had more or less an open-endedish product, for which I had made a sample. When another teacher stopped by the table, I said, "See, this is why I don't ever do 'crafts' in here. So frustrating!" Which it had definitely become, both for myself and several of the students. I'm pretty sure at the time I said this I was holding the girl's piece in my hands trying to successfully complete one of the steps for her. Ugh, horrible. She had been at the table for such a long time with me, and I'm pretty sure it was shortly after I made this thinking-out-loud comment to my colleague that she ended up under the table, which I realized upon reflection later. The next day I asked her first thing if she knew what the word embarrassed meant. She didn't. I asked if she had heard what I said to the other teacher and she said she did. While scary and humiliating, it felt amazing to hug her and apologize. I have never felt an apology more deeply than that. Such a humbling and eye opening experience, and to think that it's one that the kids have to/get to experience so often together.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-81016623614697073642016-02-05T17:48:27.534-08:002016-02-05T17:48:27.534-08:00Whilst studying for my teaching diploma, I read ma...Whilst studying for my teaching diploma, I read many journal articles about the importance of of strong respectful relationships in ECE - many of them mentioned the importance of choosing one's words carefully but it was Tom's posts here (about the "Language of Command" in particular) that gave me the easiest and most relatable ways to do so. This post is another thoughtful one in a similar vein. <br />I must admit that when I first started teaching I was somewhat dismayed sometimes to hear myself saying some of the things my father said - some of them things that I'd not really liked as a child either... Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-8122916997273998232016-02-05T09:05:40.423-08:002016-02-05T09:05:40.423-08:00I understand completely, it's so easy to "...I understand completely, it's so easy to "bark" when you you have to get kids from point "A" to point "B". I can see it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13855174374826710922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-12247757570941532512016-02-05T07:59:05.114-08:002016-02-05T07:59:05.114-08:00Haha, a funny post! And loved how you turned the ...Haha, a funny post! And loved how you turned the magazines into story time, what a GREAT idea!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com