Tuesday, December 23, 2008

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My students think I'm brilliant. I seem to know everything. All about the psychology and biology of phantom limbs, the nervous system, and God knows what else (this is just what came up today), when I'm just an English teacher.

I just happen to know, and remember...I mean I did take a course in Psychobiology. There are so many people out there that know just as much and probably way more than me...why do they not have the "name" that I have?

Come to think of it, how many adults have I been fooled by with this premise?

4 comments:

  1. well who cares? if that's what they think, that's gr8, why change that? :)

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  2. I don't want my students thinking I'm this genius who knows everything, because then well, I may be a good teacher, I'm not a good example. They'll look at me and say,
    "Wow, Ms. Maintenance is brilliant and therefore does brilliant things, I can't do that, I'm not brilliant."

    Now if I was brilliant, they'd have a valid point, but i'm not and I don't want to perpetuate the myth because I want my students to aim higher.

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  3. students naturally look up to teachers as roll models that know everything. Much as they look up to parents as all knowing. Although with teachers, it's not all of them, so it's a compliment when they think highly of you.

    I wouldn't worry about that happening, the students will want to emulate you because they look up to you, so long as they are manageable goals, they will strive for it because they see you as the perfect example.

    Better it be this way than the opposite, for then surely they wouldn't even pay attention to what you have to say, and would dismiss it right away. Here at least they would think it over and consider it, since their role model teacher said it.

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  4. Just wondering -- what grade do you teach?

    I'm not too concerned about this. It happens to everyone. Just enjoy it while it lasts ;-)

    And take opportunities to show them how one becomes "brilliant" -- instead of always answering right away, you can bounce the question back to the class: "What do you think? How can we find out?" or "I'm not sure about that. Let's focus for the next 20 minutes and if we have time at the end of class we can look it up together."

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Hey, you know what's going on in my head, what's up in yours?