Keeping it Real
Kristin Einwohner, Teacher at Ramapo High School
Every teacher enters their profession in the honeymoon phase...all these amazing visions of touching the lives of many and maintaining ties with students for years to come, mastering classroom management skills and keeping the curriculum flowing with endless creativity that dutifully meets all the standards required by the state. And every teacher learns immediately that teaching isn’t exactly what they thought it would be.
As a student that grew up in a diverse school district, I also had a diverse group of friends. I have always loved being friends with people from all different walks of life, people that can teach me about things I’ve never experienced or seen. After all, life is so much more interesting when you interact with people who are different from you! However, when you teach teenagers who have had a different upbringing and background than you, it’s a whole different experience. When I was a student, my peers put on a show for the purposes of maintaining a facade. However, since becoming a teacher, my students don’t do this.
They keep it real.
When you develop true bonds with them, they let you know exactly how it is. No show, no facade; just the truth. Teaching became my most real experience with understanding life beyond myself. Perhaps the biggest lesson that I’ve learned since becoming a teacher is that my students have taught me more than I could ever teach them. What they’ve taught me didn’t come from a text book, a college course, or anything I had to pay money for. What they’ve taught me has been free and yet has been among the most valuable things I have ever learned.
Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Sure, we all hear this and we know it’s true, but how many people actually do this? A student doesn’t complete any work for a class for an entire quarter, a student doesn’t come to school, a student makes “bad” choices when it comes to friends or relationships…all these things are done for a reason. None of which are because they are lazy or don’t care or want bad attention drawn to themselves. All of which are because they’re going through a struggle and they need someone. Students don’t open up unless they know they can trust you, and you have to earn that trust. My students have taught me not to judge and to take the time to earn trust and build bonds, ahead of everything else.
A good friend once said, “Tomorrow is never promised.” Though, theoretically we all know this is true, I never actually lived my daily life with this thought in mind. One year on a student’s birthday, I asked him if there was anything he wanted for his birthday and his response was, “Honestly, all I want is to make it to my next birthday.” I had to ask him what he meant because I had never heard a high school senior make that comment. He went on to confirm what my friend had told me years before. He lived his life never knowing if the next day would come, knowing that any day he could potentially be in a compromising situation. My students have taught me a different perspective on life altogether and how though everyone has a basic human right to be treated equally, even in the year 2020 that is not always the case. They made me realize that being an ally means more than anything when you are a teacher. Giving support, standing by someone; though neither of these things promise tomorrow to any of us, it makes us feel like we’re striving for a better chance of that.
I’ve shed tears over the years for my students, a lot. Tears of joy when I’ve seen them rise up from their freshman year and grow to get to their senior year. Tears of sadness when I’ve seen them through their dark times or lost one of them, some forever. Tears of hope when I’ve watched them face their struggles head on and seen how they can persevere. Tears of conviction when I’m so certain of them and I’m waiting for them to realize what they’re capable of.
My students never cease to amaze me.
So yes, rookie teachers learn right away that teaching isn’t what they thought it would be. It’s exhausting and amazing. It’s draining and energizing. Yet, it’s so, so worth it. I wouldn’t be who I am today without my students.
About Kristin Einwohner: I am 42 years old. I teach at Ramapo High School in Rockland County. I love being with my family, friends, & students, I love writing, and I love laughing to the point that I cry.