Reflections on...familiarity...

So today I was watching a show called Waterloo Road on BBC Entertainment.
They've been showing the series for a while and it's started all over again...so I caught the very first ep...
It was interesting. It introduces us to a whole slew of characters in a struggling school...you MUST have drama to make telly interesting, eh?

[Though as an interesting aside, we had a visitor from a UK school visit us, three weeks ago. I mentioned wanting to work as a teacher and commented on the difference in culture between the west and here. I said I'd be hard pressed for control in western schools, since despite being hooligans, Indian kids are still brought up differently and are willing to listen to their elders...I gave the show as an example...but he said that that's not the typical case. In fact, he called it a terrible show.
Yet...people keep making shows on schools - Boston Public, Waterloo Road etc etc. - and others watch...art does imitate life...yet hopefully not entirely...]

OK...the aside done with...what this post is about is: the new deputy teacher introduced in the ep is sorta my kind of guy...similar hang ups with similar beliefs (I think) and though I don't necessarily agree with a certain thing he said, it made me ponder on something I had a chat about, with one of my teachers in school, just earlier today...

The deputy head in the show said: "Familiarity breeds contempt" - in reference to being addressed on a first name basis by a co teacher.
Earlier in the day, I was sitting in the staff room, I happened to discuss certain "challenging" students with one of my teachers. We were talking about kids who act up but still listen when they are talked to. I am of the opinion that no kids are really dumb. Most will listen - the key is...you need to put what you're saying in a way which will make them want to listen...
My teacher happened to mention that while that is true, perhaps the kids are more open with me since I play with them...
I've already addressed this in a previous post...and it has actually gotten good results.
However sometimes though, I do see kids pushing the bar...but I believe I've always made clear what are the boundaries of random cheek and where one becomes actually rude and I believe I've been able to enforce them pretty well...
Of course, there will always be those one or two kids who still attempt to push the limits...
Made me wonder though...whether there is an actual down side to being a laid back kind of person.

There was an incident yesterday where I was invited to a party at one of my kids' place and one of his other guests was trying to get a rise out of me. Eventually...he said something unnecessary in front of the parents...that's where I just put my foot down and said that we would not be having anymore on that subject. Thankfully...he did give in and after that, he let up on the idiocy. This kid is one of the more challenging ones...not his fault one could say...there are ...issues...
One one hand...perhaps the kidding should not have started at all...on the other...I'm grateful that he did let up when I asked him to...

Well, the point of this post is...what kind of teacher am I?
Well...the sort who gives plenty of slack - but no second chances...
Is that good? Is that bad? Essentially what I'm saying here is...I play out enough rope to let the kids hang themselves with...though I do make it clear what the rope entails...
Hah.

However...I don't know what brings on these periods of self doubt. For the last few years, I've understood and maintained that I am well aware of what my strengths and abilities are and what my weaknesses are. This confidence in my self can be taken as arrogance as some. However, the fact remains...that consistency in action and achievement speak louder than words...People still come to me when they want certain work done...

So...I know I'm a good teacher. Perhaps it is an outcome of having gotten to teach at my own school. Were it a different place, perhaps the situation might have been different. However...perhaps not.
I pride myself on learning from others' actions and as I teach, I always think about what I would have liked my teachers to have done better or not done at all and I look to put that into practice.
Perhaps I succeed...yesterday was the last day of exams and the year for the kids...I got (another) hand made card saying "I will miss you" - from a fifth grader.
It is little things like this that make it worthwhile...
I have no illusions about being liked by everyone. That would be unhealthy but even one out of fifty expressing themselves like this...is worth its weight in gold...

Just some thoughts going through my head...
Any thoughts of your own?

On a parting note...here's something I'd like to share with you: