Joy In The Classroom

 



It was the first night of classes in the college and the first night as an adjunct for Mrs. Lin.  She was nervous.  The high school she teaches at during the day has been bombarding her with new evaluation formats, Danielson Framework and Common Core.  She expected the same stuff to happen here and when the evening supervisor introduced himself, she got nervous.

There was no need for this.  In the college, the job of the supervisor is to make things run smoothly and get involved if they don't.  He is a colleague and a friend, not out to "get" anyone and certainly not looking to rate anyone ineffective or to take away a person's job.

While I think she believed me, I know she was not ready to relax.  Her past experience overrode anything I could possibly say.  But, it will sink in and she will stop being so tense and learn to enjoy teaching again.  She'll love teaching in an environment where kids get the grades they deserve, not the grades their APs want them to have, where kids who deserve failing grades will not be given credit recovery and boot camp and passed along.  She'll find there is still joy to be found in a classroom.