There is No Fun in School!!!

My students were hard at work on their daily grammar activity when a student walked into my room at the beginning of my language arts block.

“Mr. Lin, Ms. Bach* wanted me to give this to you. She said it was inappropriate.”

The student handed me a sealed envelope. On the envelope in a child’s handwriting, it said:

I wish I was in your class!!

Mrs. Bach

p.s your so much nicer than Mr. lin

By

******* *******

One of the things I take some measure of pride in is the relationship I have with my students. Although it is most important to me students that my students respect me, it is also a bonus if they like me and like being in my class also. However, it would be foolhardy of me to think that all my students are going to like me. This year, I’ve had a difficult time with Rosanna*, who has made it very clear to me and to other students that she doesn’t like me. Recently, she has taken a passive aggressive approach, and this letter to my science counterpart was just another example.

So… how should I handle this?

Mr. Lin: “Class, thank you for working so hard on your grammar. Before we review the sentences you are correcting, I want the class to see something that was given to me just now."

(As I take out the envelope and put it under the document camera so everyone can see it, I hear a few gasps from some of the students. Rosanna slinks into her chair ever-so-slightly)

Mr. Lin: I have a special treat for you! Rosanna has been so gracious as to provide us with some sentences that contain errors. Let’s fix the sentences she made for us!”

(The whole class cheers)

Student A: “I see the first mistake! The ‘i’ needs to be capitalized!”
Student B: “I think she used the wrong ‘your.’ It should be “you’re.”
Student C: “It should be Dr. Lin instead of Mr. Lin”
Student D: “Lin is a proper noun, so the ‘L needs to be capitalized!”
Student E: “There needs to be a period after the ‘s’ in ‘p.s.’”
Student F: “Ms. Bach isn’t married… yet. You can’t write Mrs.”
Rosanna: “She just got engaged! So she’s now a Mrs.”
Student F: “No, she only becomes a Mrs. after she gets married.”
Mr. Lin: “Great job class! Let’s give Rosanna a round of applause for providing us with some sentences so we can practice our grammar.”

(The students give Rosanna a hearty round of applause)

Student G (to Rosanna): “Mr. Lin is the nicest teacher ever!”
Mr. Lin (glares at Student G): “Save your made-up stories for when we write fiction.”

On the first day of school I tell my students that my job is to teach them, and getting them to like me isn’t in my job description. Along the way, my kids figure out that I’m also pretty fun teacher to have and begin to like me. MOST of them, at least!

To the ones that inevitably don't like being in my class, I hope they realize that the words I speak on the first day of school are words I stand by as a teacher.


*Names changed

p.s. – to my dear friend and mentor teacher Ms. Bach… congratulations on your engagement!!!