Do you love kids, content, both or neither? A K-12 Perspective

Do you love kids, content, both or neither?  A K-12 Perspective

I have heard it said that educators choose to teach elementary school because they love kids, they choose high school because they love content, and they choose middle school because they love both… or neither.  Obviously, these are generalizations and there are plenty of exceptions to the rule.  There are, however, plenty of teachers that fit these typecasts.  I’m sure you can think of a few.

The aforementioned stereotypes partly find their origins in another stereotype about students; that elementary students are enthusiastic and excited to learn, that middle school students are curious, sassy, awkward, and impressionable, and that high school students have largely made up their minds about the world and about how they learn. These are of course more generalizations and exceptions abound.  But there is plenty of truth here as well.  

Have the teacher stereotypes caused the student stereotypes or is it the other way around?  For good or bad, students can influence the views of their teachers, and teachers can do the same for their students.  Seeing as these are thoughts for teachers to consider, I would encourage you to be the one actively and consciously doing the influencing.  Show your students that you love them, that you love to learn, and that you love to see them succeed.  They are sure to follow, liable to value the same things that their teacher does (even the older students who you think have already made up their minds about things). 

So what?  Now what?  Take a moment to consider where you fit on this K-12 spectrum of stereotypes. Do you love kids while finding content to be a drag?  Are you enthusiastic about your subject, but your students make your job miserable? Whether you teach Kindergarten, high school seniors, or somewhere in between, kids need to be supported and loved.  There is no good reason why teachers and students at all levels should not be geeked out about learning at every turn.  If you don’t love your students and your content, think about what you need to do in order to change.  If you have a healthy love for both, consider how you might affect positive change on your school culture and help others around you. 


Love your students?  Show them something really cool!

16 Ways to Use Moana as an educational tool
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (Taoism) in Kung Fu Panda (UPDATED)
12 Ways to teach about September 11th
Connections between the Emperor's New Groove and the Incan Empire