I admire people who, by vocation and love of their profession, have chosen to take the path of educating children and adolescents academically. The mark of a good teacher is not limited only to the time we spend in his class, it goes beyond the lessons we see in the books, and many of them give us great examples of empathy and kindness.
Now a teacher is being news because of the reaction he had when he saw that one of his students had fallen asleep in class. We share your message.
Monte Syrie is a writer and teacher in a high school in Washington, United States who has shared a lesson in understanding and empathy. Recently, one of her students fell asleep during one of her classes, but instead of waking her up, she decided to let her sleep.
Being an active person in social networks, to talk about educational issues, posted a thread on Twitter where He explains why he made the decision to allow Meg, his student, to fall asleep in class.
Meg fell asleep in class yesterday. I let her. I didn't take it personally. She has zero-hour math, farm-girl chores, state-qualifying 4X400 fatigue, adolescent angst, and various other things to deal with. My class is only a part of her life, not her life. No, she did not use
- Monte Syrie (@MonteSyrie) May 16, 2018
"Meg fell asleep in class yesterday. I let her do it. I didn't take it personal. She has an early math class, responsibilities on a farm, fatigue for qualifying for the state of a 4 x 400 meter relay race, teenage distress, and many other things to deal with. My class is only part of your life, not your life", the teacher begins to tell.
And then he goes on to explain that because of this, she couldn't take advantage of class time to finish an essay and deliver it. However, that same day at night, he sent it without him reminding or telling him something about it.
"I know we all have this idea of how to do things correctly, and letting a boy fall asleep in class is out of the question. I understand it and I don't suggest that we make it a permanent part of our routine, but I do suggest that we follow our instincts"continues the professor. And then he explains why he chose to do things that way.
"In a different room, Meg might have received a note for falling asleep and earned a zero for not delivering her essay on time, but she was not in a different room, she was in my classroom. My classroom. And in my living room there are many things that I CAN do. I can't control the outside world. I can't offer Meg a math class at another time later, I can't feed all the horses she feeds every morning or afternoon. I can't run a race for her. I can't take away your teenage problems. But I can give it a rest. She was not being disrespectful as she fell asleep yesterday. I was just tired. So I gave him a break. I can give it to him. And I can believe, I must believe, that that will be rewarded in the end. So it was. Meg finished his essay. In fact, she told me proudly this morning when we met at 6:45 in the market. He was going for some breakfast before going to his 7:10 class. I had been awake since 5:00 doing homework"concludes the professor.
There is a typical phrase in Mexico that is often heard saying a lot to parents, especially those who have teenage children: "your only obligation is to study and comply with the school"In the case of many students, it is, but in other cases, like Meg's, which has many occupations, it is not.
Adolescence is a stage full of changes, in which many young people start doing other activities in addition to their studies or going through difficult times that are part of their development at that age. What this teacher has shown is nothing but kindness and empathy for the particular situation of a student, a good student who had a heavy day.
Of course, the reactions to the publication of this professor did not wait, and both young and old, they shared similar stories of how another teacher knew how to act like him, giving them the opportunity to get the rest or space they needed at that time.
All of them, some as alumni and others as parents, were grateful to those teachers, highlighting the importance and impact that a kind treatment towards students can have. One of the answers that the teacher received in his Twitter thread, perfectly summarizes what happened:
The reality is that few students will remember the information you teach 5-10 years down the road, but they will always remember the compassion you showed while in your class.
- Aaron Brecek, NBCT⚾️ (@ Brecek24) May 17, 2018
The reality is that few students will remember the information you taught them 5 or 10 years later, but they will always remember the compassion you showed them while they were in your class.
And what all those who respond to it are true. A good teacher not only takes care of teaching his students the academic material that corresponds to his class, but also He also cares for them and looks for ways to help them..
Another example we've seen of teachers who go beyond their responsibilities, are those who have students who are mothers and take their children to class because they had no other choice. Not only do they allow them to attend class with them, but if there is any difficulty, they even offer to help, like that teacher who calmed the crying of a student's baby and continued the class with him in his arms.
While they seem to be small or unimportant actions, these can have a great impact on the lives of students, helping them stay motivated and feel less pressured to continue their studies. The empathy and support of a teacher could completely change the future of his students. Congratulations for giving us an example of empathy and kindness.
