Thursday, March 4, 2010

Favorite Teacher T-Shirt


I’m A Survivor
I’m A Teacher
Outwit-
I have spent most of my time in the classroom, trying to figure out what my students were going to do before they did it. Sometimes this meant trying to figure out what problems they might have on a task before they attempted it. Sometimes it meant anticipating the new and creative excuse for not doing the assignment, the note before it was passed, or the piece of ice before it was about to be slipped down someone’s back. A wise man once said that the orneriest students often make the best teachers because they know what is going to happen before it happens. My students keep me on my toes, but so far…I am still out smarting them!

Outplay-
No matter my age, I’ve still “got game,” and it never hurts my students to remember that. Whether it is a faculty game of dodge ball or a recess game of foursquare, my students want me to play with them and give it my best shot. It is good for them to remember that I still have skills. I can weld, build, sing, act, play, paint, compute, write, read, bake, type, and dissect with the best of them. I can still dunk the ball, name the capitols of all the states, or identify the chemicals on the periodic table, and if I don’t know it…I will look it up. I can also dance a mean “running man” or stand on my head if you want to see it. I am glad to let you see that I can still do it, but I’m even happier to teach you how to do it…maybe by example.

Outlast-
Every year I watch students exit my room at the end of the year. They won’t be back. I will be in the same room next year, facing the same challenges all over again: enjoying the early days of school, struggling through the winter doldrums, persevering through testing and field trips, and sending them off in the spring. I am the only one growing older in my classroom. There is a good chance that if I teach long enough, I will teach longer than many of my students have been in school. I will “outlast them” in our school system. However, long after they have left my room and forgotten me, I will be looking for their impact in our world. Someone once said that old teachers never die, they just lose their class. I’m guessing we’ll know where our students are, we just won’t have a room.
I am a Teacher.
I am a Survivor.

I wrote this for  the Teachers of Tiny Town
American Education Week 2006 to go along with
T-Shirts designed for the Local Association
Logo pictured above

3 comments:

Katie @ Can't Get There said...

You make me want to teach. Or maybe just live in your classroom. You DEFINITELY get my vote for top of your class!!

Shannon said...

Perfect! I am sure you are quite adept at all the above!

puna said...

Yes!