Am I Goofy?

Before I became a teacher, I was a tennis professional teaching private lessons, group lessons, team practices, and everything in between. When I first started, my mentor gave me some sound advice, “You need to be 3/4th entertainer and 1/4th instructor.” I carried that advice, and philosophy, with me for years. Still do. Does it apply to school? Absolutely. Can, and should, the fractions change for school? Absolutely. But, I do believe we are part entertainer when we are in the classroom.

What brings this up? The other day a student asked me, “Are you goofy all the time outside of school?” Yes. Yes I am. For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to make people smile and laugh. If I could get those reactions from someone, it was a fuel to my fire. I’m still the same way, and I see this trait in my daughter as well.

Each day, I try to keep the classroom laid back and light hearted. In my opinion, people take things way to seriously. Test scores and content drive way too much. My approach this year is focusing on the individuals in the room and the story associated with each name. This is why I begin my 7th grade classes by saying their name and an opportunity to share something that made them smile or frown. With this, I often share a story or joke as well. It works. They like it. It gives me a chance to open up a bit. If I’m not sharing a story, you better believe I’m sharing a dad joke! For example: My first time using an elevator was an uplifting experience The second time let me down.

At the end of the day, focus on the individuals and their stories. make time to share and open up a bit. Have some fun and tell a joke: A farmer who owned 67 sheep asked me to round them up. I said: “Sure. 70.”