You Wanna See My Mad Face?

Description: This is a picture I found of teacher. Obviously, this picture is an example of a stereotype. Not all teachers make this face on a daily basis. However, some educators do use the "scare tactic" when it comes to teaching.

Reflection: During my senior year of high school, I worked at an elementary school for my co-op job. I loved to work in the first grade rooms because the students were younger. The little kids would automatically put me in a great mood. However, the teacher I worked with on a daily basis would constantly scare her students. When they wouldn't get their work done, she would threaten them by taking away their recess or putting them in a corner somewhere. I just knew there had to be a better way of getting quality work from your students. In return, the students would do their work, but not out of self-motivation. They would complete their work in a sloppy manner only to get what they wanted out of their day. I felt that the teacher handled this situation poorly. If a student isn't interested in their work, chances are it won't be completed in the correct manner. I felt that this decision held consequences for everyone involved, teachers and students alike. I have learned throughout this course that sometimes the subtle things you do, can impact a student the most. You never know who is watching and what they may take from your actions.

Connection: I have seen how this works first hand. When a teacher goes about handling a situation the wrong way, it can effect the learning of a child. It was almost as if the students were completing their work only because they were scared to see the teacher's "mad face." I can't say that I blame them. I was even scared of her sometimes. I learned through this situation that sometimes we can learn best by watching others. I don't want to scare my students. I want them to know that they can come to me no matter what they have done. A teachers shouldn't be a scary person. They should be a leader if nothing else.