And I was completely startled because in nine years of teaching I have never had anyone say that to me. As a matter of fact, it's something I feel is somewhat lacking in me, my ability to crack the metaphorical whip and get things on track. I have a tendency to fool around and waste time as much as they do. So I was surprised and I had to ask what on earth she was talking about. In the end I'm glad I did because I think I have gotten to bottom of the mystery as to why these kids have been somewhat unpleasant to work with.
This perception of strictness goes back to the fact that I made it clear from the very first day that you do not talk when someone else is performing. For some reason, this is a rule that kids nowadays have a hard time with. I'm guessing this is because most of them have never attended a live show and are much more accustomed to seeing acting come from a television set where they can talk all they want.
However, it's also something that kids can learn, with much coaxing, coaching and threatening. And I always take it upon myself to make sure that they learn it because I believe it's important. When we actually started talking about it today, what came out was that their last Drama teacher didn't care if they blurted things out while people were performing and that no one had ever told them not to do it before me. Hence, I am strict. Very strict, far too strict. When compared with math teachers and science teachers I might be easygoing and relaxed, but next to other Drama teachers, I am a Nazi.
I found this news fascinating.
I learned a few things from this experience. One was that while I was worrying something serious and terrible and hurtful was going on, it really wasn't. I overthink things.
Another thing is that the generation gap is widening for me. There was a time in my career when I would have wanted to mull this over and come up with a compromise to make everyone happy. Now I feel fairly (though not 100 percent) comfortable saying, "That's tough." Sometimes kids are stupid and they need to be overruled. And when they tell you they are devastated that you have taken away their right to be rude to each other, if they don't get it when you explain it rationally, there's nothing wrong with saying, Too bad.
Lastly, as my poor brain tried to understand why twelfth grade students (who should, I thought, be seventeen years old) were so juvenile, I finally realised that the education system is different here and that kids can much more easily take twelfth grade courses in tenth and eleventh grade. Some of these kids are only fifteen. That was a light bulb moment for me. Two or three years is a huge difference at this age.
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I feel better about school now. There's only one thing I'm feeling bad about. I got my school ID card today and I look old. The bags under my eyes are horrific. Why didn't I notice this in the mirror but it's so clear in a photograph?
When we were kids, bringing home our school photos and complaining about how horrible we looked, my Dad used to grin and say, The camera don't lie. He's right of course. Too bad we're spending all our money on a new kitchen. No botox for me. Old lady, new kitchen. Hee.
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