Teaching others' as opposed to your own

Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest, yet most rewarding job I have ever had.  I had a few jobs when I was younger. I thought after I got my degree, that teaching was going to be the most rewarding job.


I loved teaching!  It was amazing to watch the children progress from the beginning of the year to the end.  It didn't matter if I was teaching kindergarten or Eight grade, the progress was amazing.


When I taught kindergarten I taught the kids to read and write.  I felt such an accomplishment each and everyday at their amazing leaps and bounds.  Most of them couldn't recognize their names when then got there the first day, but on the last day, each and everyone of them was reading small books.  What really bothered me was parents complaining that they weren't playing enough, and what I was teaching them was too hard.  Really?  Did I come up with what I was going to teach?  No, the state did, and I wasn't there to babysit, or play with them, I was there to teach them, that was what I was getting paid to do.  I couldn't believe the complaints I got, heck, most of you probably wouldn't believe the complaints.  When I was there, I vowed never to act like that to any of my sons' teachers.  I don't think that I'm even going to tell their teachers I was a teacher, but we'll see.


Teaching Eighth grade English and Reading was a totally different story, well, sort of.  Most of those students weren't on an Eighth grade reading level, much less wanting to read at all.  I made reading mandatory!  They didn't have an option.  I made them read out loud, something I hated to do when I was that age, but figured out that, that was the best way to get them reading better.  Most of them resisted at the beginning, but by the end of the year, I had READERS!  They all enjoyed reading, well, they at least acted like it to humor me.  Just thinking back to that time, it makes me smile.  When I was organizing the basement I found some of their poetry books that they made.  They all were resistant to that too, but they did it, and they were amazing.  I learned that the eighth graders really needed the same attention that the kindergartens did.  You could tell the ones that didn't really get the attention at home, so I made it a priority to treat them like my own.  If they needed hugs, they got them, if they needed an adult to talk to, they got that too.  They all respected me, and treated me and their classmates with respect.  That is a big accomplishment for 14 year olds!  


My oldest is a little resistant to me teaching him.  He knows all his letter and sounds, but he doesn't want to put the sounds together to get the word.  Last night we worked on it again, he's getting better, but still wants to make up a word instead of putting the word together.  Is it that he's being stubborn, or lazy?  I hate to think it's lazy, maybe just stubborn to me.  The little one is picking things up way faster than his brother!  I taught him one sign in like 2 seconds.  I think he'll want to learn since his brother is doing it, well, at least I hope so.


I love teaching, and miss it most days, but my priority are my children and showing them the attention, respect and love that they deserve.  I don't want them being the kids that need the love and attention from a teacher. I am their first teacher and feel the most amazing accomplishment knowing they know what they are supposed to before a teacher teaches them.  It puts a smile on my face when I hear a teacher or anyone else tell me how smart my kids are.  What do I say to that?  Thank you much! It makes me want to do a little dance!  Holla mama, you're the BOMB!  *smile*  


Have a great day!  Love, BJ