I completety stole this photo from the Internet. I confess.
Today as I was assigned an English class to teach I went to Vadsbogymnasiet, the school where I work, with a smile on may face. Well, there’s usually a smile on my face actually, that’s just the kind of person I am. Anyway, I was very excited to get to have this opportunity to interact with a bunch of high school kids. The bell rings, and into the classroom two kids enter. Two. And that’s it. Two young male specimens. …(Hmmmm, I suddenly feel like I am discussing Biology here, but I am really not. It must be that course I am taking at school right now, the one about Nature and Sustainable Development, that is affecting me…) Anyway, moving on here with the story… My two students look at me a bit awkward as they inform that the rest of the study group all have decided to leave school early today since last class had been cancelled anyway.
First I feel a little frustrated considering the NSU's (No Show Ups). But then I start thinking… And instead of feeling anger and frustration because of the NSU's I decide to focus entirely on the SU's (Show Ups). These two students are here for a reason. They may be a part of a study group that is difficult to motivate, but they are still here. They want to learn. I am their teacher. Therefore, I will teach.
There is a lot of good energy right here. Positive energy. Ambition. Power. The power of knowledge. Chatting with these kids I feel fortunate. They are making me become the teacher I want to be. Seeing them, hearing them, reaching out to them, getting through to them, helping them out with verbs and guiding them through the mysterious mazes of linguistics I feel alive.
In life in general, we will encounter both kinds of people. There will be NSU's and SU's. As long as we focus on the SU's we are OK. As long as we wish for more of them and less of the other kind, we will be doing just fine. I have one thing to ask from you who read this though. I want you to be honest. Think hard, dig deep into your mind, focus... Promise me to make sure you love what you do. And that, if you don’t, you go do something else. There’s a good rule to live by, right there.
yeah it is...the ones that show up are the ones who are hungry...fuel that hunger...
SvaraRaderaThat sounds like the kind of fabulous wisdom I normally hear from my wee Scottish Granny... Yay for the SU's :0)
SvaraRaderaOh so true Jo!
SvaraRaderaBrian: I am. Thank you. :)
SvaraRaderaED: I just love being compared to your Granny... ;) She seems one cool lady! :)
Jennifer: Thank you sweetie. :)
How wise those words Jo & how so very true.
SvaraRaderaThose boys wanted to be there...wanted to listen & learn, that is a great thing.
So glad that you all got so much out of this event. Just like Brian said..Fuel that hunger & feed that hunger. If they are willing participants it must make a teachers job all the more rewarding.
There is good and there is bad. The bad can be bad for a number of reasons, but today I decided not to worry about that, I decided to focus on the good instead. I felt the good deserved that from me. I will have to focus on the bad some other day probably. But not today.
SvaraRaderaI think it's something like 80pct. of life is just showing up. Accentuate the postive. Always. And I like your photo!
SvaraRaderayour post today is so inspiring! those two young fellas who showed up?- they are going to receive so much more out of this life because they 'want it'. it surely would have been easier to leave early with the rest of the guys but they chose to stay, chose to learn, chose to better themselves.
SvaraRaderai will make you that promise! even if my hubby doesn't like or understand it because i believe it's eternally better to go with your heart than to give in to dismay.
what a wonderful post, thanks so much for sharing it with all of us!
Sounds like the show ups are in for a great life to me!
SvaraRaderaUnfortunately, I would have probably been a NSU back in the day. I'd like to think I've changed my ways though.
Wise advice for sure. You must be one wonderful teacher.
SvaraRaderaYvonne Osborne: I will accentuate the postive... And I stole that photo - I don't deserve that compliment...! :)
SvaraRaderasheri: Oh, thank you so much! :)
Cheeseboy: Thank you for commenting. You seem to be doing just fine. :) As I teacher the NSU's take up a lot of your energy, and maybe they need to do that for a number of reasons. We just have to remember to remember the SU's too. :)
Hilary: Thank you. One day I will be. :)