I had a really
interesting conversation with a student a few days ago. We were swiftly approaching the big one: the Forces Test. In physics, this is kind of a Waterloo
moment, where the math really is based off of physical ideas in a way many
students (myself included) find incredibly challenging, especially in terms of
the normal force. (Aside: If someone else says 'natural force' to me
again whilst referring to normal force, I'm going to lose my mind.)
The point of all of
this is the fact that I have had multiple students come to me in near tears
because they are terrified of this exam.
They are normally A/B students who have found themselves getting a C or
D on exams that they have prepared for as they would for any exam in any other
class. Physics is a beast unto itself,
with things that may some logical but are incredibly difficult to define
mathematically. And this is an honors
class, which is just another layer of math on math on math. So, panic attacks have ensued and I have had
the responsibility to talk students back from the edge.
One such student
came in and told me their study habits, which is not uncommon for this
area. On average, after they finish
school they go to their after school sport and get home between 5 and 6 PM. Then, it is not uncommon to do homework until
10-11 PM. I can tell you as a teacher, I
don't make assignments that should take that long. Also, many students do work throughout breaks
in the day and so have 8 hours of classes and possibly 8 hours of
homework. This student also dedicated
their entire Saturday to my class.
So I did what any
adult would do: I asked the student what they do for fun. A big part of learning is letting your brain
rest. You need to take a moment to not
think on occasion, to do something enjoyable.
Your brain often will be still be churning through the question in the
background, but focusing on something else takes the pressure off. I think this is why I actually could engage
hardcore in art and science in college.
I would oscillate between the two because they were different parts of
my brain, and it allowed me a time to let something go in the background.
What the student
said scared me. Nothing. They do nothing for fun. I asked if they like to draw. The response was "Yes, I love it. But you can't make money doing
that." Which absolutely broke my
heart. I know where they are coming
from. Many parents in this area (mine
included) feel that creative arts jobs are not for their children. It's true that the jobs with stability are
hard to find, but they absolutely exist.
Also, you can still enjoy and profit from your hobbies.
So, to help
illustrate my point to my student, I took out my sketchbook for Inktober. I'm doing my best to do a draw every day this
month, and I find the challenge actually really inspiring. The look on the student's face as we flipped
through brightened. All my students can
see how hard I work and how much effort I put in, and yet I have given myself
time to enjoy a pastime. This, however,
doesn't help students see someone not just emotionally profit from drawing, but
financially profit as well.
And that’s when it
struck me. It's imperative that I keep
drawing and enjoying myself. It's easy
as a teacher to get sucked into just grinding all the time to keep up on grades
and to find new and exciting activities, but for me, creating something should
be a focus as well. And it's not just
for my own amusement, enjoyment and profit anymore. Teachers are inspirations to students, as
egotistical as it sounds. I want to be
able to tell my students I made something and made money from that. Or that I'm using my creativity or am proud
of something I made. Especially at a
school with so much talent and drive, I feel like I need to match that.
No comments:
Post a Comment