"How to teach a bunch of pricks (pun intended)"

So I know I have been slacking on my posts and I apologize. It seems a daily writing resolution was less feasible that I thought, although it would be much easier if I had a 3-G i-phone...(hint hint mom and dad). Anyway there has been a few things on my mind lately, and, as always, they connect together rather well: student engagement, participation and valentines day. In short, how can I get my students to be engaged? How do I promote an environment that kids want to participate in? And why is it that the most stupid, superficial, commercialized holiday succeeds in enthralling me every year?

First, it's terrifying and exhilarating how little I know about teaching. I know that teaching is a lifelong profession that you are always working at and never done developing. It is just a bit overwhelming to have all these ideas form from theories, that you put into action and they flop. Silence is terrifying as a teacher. But my supervisor made an interesting observation the other day. He came in to watch me teach, and in our meeting after he said "I noticed your quick to call on the first hand that's raised, what would happen if you didn't?" It's an interesting question. Perhaps if I waited 30 seconds an idea could take shape in the minds of students that normally do not participate. More likely, students will stare at me awkwardly and the ones with their hands raised will wave them at me. But what if?

It's equally troubling when I realize many of my student are not as engulfed with the topic or the classroom as I am. I don't know if you remember eighth grade, but there's a lot of whining. Also a lot of sweat and hormones, but those also contribute to the whining. I get a lot of groans, a lot of "do we have to?" "Why are we doing this?" I like to give them answers to these legitimate questions and actually tell them why we're doing this, but after 6 classes of answering this, I start to feel the temptation to answer with the ol' standby "because I said so.." And that's scary.

And finally, as the 14th looms nearer, I find myself pining over a date. Some boyhood romanticized dream that this one day of the year is somehow special and more conducive to love. That if I just take the right girl out on this day, I will be fulfilled and things will workout. As per usual I start February not caring at all about this stupid day, but now I'm think just maybe I should ask someone, anyone! Maybe I'll get in a fender bender tomorrow morning and that girl will want to go out with me! It's been 21 years, but hell, lets try to force love into one day!

So I'm wondering, what do I need to do, how can I change things? How can I make my student share more? How can I get them to stop complaining and start thinking? How can I be content with where I am in my personal life and stop looking to some greeting card ideal of happiness? The answer, don't fear the pricks. Facing the silence of a classroom is equally as painful as a whiney class. And both are just as grueling as waiting for someone you think is worth it. Getting closer to the pricks in life, the things that hurt, that are uncomfortable is scary because there is the opportunity for pain. I can crash and burn after 2 min of waiting in silence for that idea to take hold in someone's mind. My students may keep on whining and demanding a reason for everything; or that girl i'm waiting on may turn out to be just another dead end. But maybe, just maybe, if we forget about the, we may get close enough to the very people we rely on for our success to feel the warmth, and avoid the pricks all together.

(Note: I'm tired, so it's hard to tell if this metaphor makes sense)