Everybody loves a good story and nobody tells one better than a teacher.
Introducing Teacherly Stories: for sharing authentic moments, shining a light on the human side of teaching, and celebrating the incredible teachers we know.
Below we have three stories from Niamh, a teacher from Ireland who currently lives in Abu Dhabi.
“There’s a little girl in my class this year who always makes me laugh. Every morning she runs into the classroom at top speed and says, “good morning Miss Niamh, I missed you!” She’s kind of blissfully unaware of the people around her because she’s usually in her own little world… It’s been challenging, trying to teach kindergarten over zoom. They don’t always understand what’s going on. Sometimes I can’t hear what they’re saying, or they talk over each other. This little girl is always so excited to see everyone and she loves to show us her toys. But her mum mentioned to me that after each zoom class she breaks down in tears because she misses everyone so much. She’s always been like that: very bright and very emotional.”
“It was my very first year as a teacher. I was in Dublin, teaching in a disadvantaged area where lots of students come from difficult home backgrounds. I had this little boy in my class. He was very funny and witty, but he found school difficult because he had some learning disabilities and there were some behavioral issues as well. His Dad was never in his life so he just had his Mum and his older brother. That year his Mum became very ill with cancer. His whole world was falling apart and he was only five so he didn’t have the language to communicate what he was feeling. Sometimes I got through to him and sometimes I didn’t; it was a lot of trial and error. Telling him that he was my helper or that he had a special job usually helped. He needed extra love and support because school was becoming his safe place. Then his Mum passed away. I had no idea what to do, but my principal was a great mentor and he gave me lots of guidance. He went with me to the funeral. I can still see that little boy in his black suit. He was so small. When he came back to school, the principal helped me to hold a memorial in the classroom. I remember he was so proud to sit in the special chair with the candles and pictures of his Mum around him.”
“I think you always want to be the fun, kind, fair teacher. There are days where you’re stressed and you’re tested and you might need to take a pause. Some days you think you’ve come up with the most amazing lesson and it all just goes wrong. But I think if you love working with kids then you’ll be a good teacher. Anyone who doesn’t like kids must be living a nightmare, I can’t imagine choosing this job if you didn’t. I’ve learned that if a student isn’t responding to you, then you need to think about what you can do differently and how you can change. Sometimes it will take all of your energy to make that one child have a good day, but it’s worth it. You learn so much from other teachers too; my team has been especially great this year. When you’re a teacher you never stop learning.”
These were just three of many more stories to come. Teacherly is by teachers, for teachers, and we would love to hear from you. Do you have a teaching story to share? Contact zoe@teacherly.io
