My Class is Strange

*from a chapter on talking about your class*

The teacher influences the classroom in every possible way. I know teachers who, according to them, always have a room full of pains. A room full of children who just won’t sit and learn like they should. Me? I always have a room full of weird kids. Every year I have 25 of the goofiest children I’ve ever seen. The teacher influences the class. If you have a room full of kids, the entire class or nearly entire class, who are giving you trouble, guess who the trouble actually is. I know exactly why I always have a strange group. I tell my students, “You are some of the weirdest children I’ve ever met. Why are you so weird?” They all know the answer without being told. “Our teacher is weird! We learn from the best!” Then I remind them that normal people are boring. Weird people make the more interesting friends. If every year your class feels off, then it isn’t the fault of the students in your class. This is a lesson in personal responsibility I drill into my student teachers. The buck stops with you. Thou Art The Teacher. Everything about your room, from the condition of the desks to the stuff on the walls to the test results to the overall class behavior reflects on you.