"When we learn how to teach, we must also consider what it will feel like to teach."
Chapter 2
Clarifying a misperception in teaching, Chapter 2 teaches that control is an illusion in our teaching lives and explains how teachers have been positioned to be “in charge,” which gives the perception that they are also in control. In reality, teachers are not in full control of their teaching experiences, from courses taught to administration support to parent involvement to student behaviors. Teachers are in control of their preparedness and responses, but they are not in control of all aspects of classroom management and outcomes, despite the common teacher perception. While control exists to protect us from outcomes that may be unfavorable, this can cause teachers to tirelessly work—and re-work—lesson plans, instead of being the piece that forces engaging all parties in urgent conversations that will make bigger shifts.
Questions:
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Are there examples in your personal life or in your teacher’s life in which you were in charge, but not in control? What was the event? What were the outcomes? How did this make you feel?
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Have you ever experienced a conversation in which someone warned you not to become a teacher? Why do you think they said this to you? How do you feel about their statement now that you are a teacher?
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Reflect on how you handle emotional stress, or when things do not go the way you wanted them to go. What are your reactions? What are your solutions to these problems? Do your solutions serve you in the best and most emotionally healthy way?
Quotes:
“It is important to understand that teachers may be ‘in charge,’ but that they have limited control.”
“The teacher cannot accomplish her job, which is to teach, without the cooperation and willingness from her students to learn.”
“We must evaluate teaching from a broader lens—as a content profession and as an emotional profession.”
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© Teaching is Emotional™
