Phil, one of my Y8 students, asked if I would be teaching any of the students in his class next year. I’ve seen my almost finalised timetable and sadly there is no chance of that happening. When I told him this, Phil expressed disappointment and said he learned a lot in my lessons. I basked briefly in the warm glow that this type of comment brings, after all, it’s always nice when kids feel like that.
Conversely, if kids really don’t like me or my teaching I tell myself that it’s just a job, nothing personal etc etc. It is of course completely illogical of me to blank out any not-so-nice comments that students make, but to bask in even the faintest of praise, but hey, I never claimed to act logically.
Unfortunately, as often happens, that little warm glow that you get from something going well was short lived. I had barely finished speaking to Phil when Phoenix turned and round and said “She’s probably retiring.” Cheeky little whatnot, I’ve gone right off him.