Having Fun

Teaching life can be stressful, but just like anything in life, there is always a silver lining among the clouds. For me, if we let the stress get to us, we will get burned out easily and lose hope in whatever we are doing for our future generations. The trick is to find something beautiful that we can cherish and which reminds us of the noble aspirations we had when we first chose to enter the profession.

Entering the seventh year of my teaching career, I've had my fair share of stress and depression. At one point, I got so near to the point of burning out that I could not find the passion in teaching anymore. Fortunately, I had a short break from teaching and used that time to gather myself and move on. Of course, I still face stress now, but I'm better equipped to handle it. I know I'm stating the obvious when I say that the best way to beat stress is to find joy in whatever we do.
One way of finding joy in teaching is to bond with our students. Sure, they can be a pain in the ass most of the time (where do you think our stress comes from?), but I found that if we take the time to show that we care for them, instead of giving out punishments and reprimands to establish our authority over them, they will learn to respect us more, and are more willing to cooperate with us in the future. Students love it when teachers go down to their level, and they enjoy the attention given to them. In turn, they will readily give back their love and attention to you.















I used to take the role of a teacher seriously -- too seriously, I think. I felt it important to project myself as an authority figure in class so that students would not 'play smart' with me. I tried to keep as much distance from them as possible. That didn't work out well. Over the years, I learned to loosen up and to let students feel more comfortable with me. I learned to be their friend. I learned to be goofy with them... sometimes. Of course, this change in my approach also encompasses learning how to be firm with them when the need arises. After all, as a teacher, it is my job to ensure that they learn the right values in life. This is definitely an uphill task for me, as being an introvert, I'm shy and awkward in social situations.

However, I'm pleased to say that I'm making good progress in my social and teaching skills. I'm bonding well with my students now. I love to be around my students as much as they like being around me, although I'm sure they wish they could be somewhere else when I'm dishing out homework in class.















I think having fun with my students helps me as much as it helps them. It not only takes away the stress of teaching for me, but also the stress of learning for my students. Many of them may be feeling isolated from their family or friends, and bonding with them gives them comfort that they are still likable human beings. Nothing feels better than when your students come up to you to have their picture taken with you, or when they thank you wholeheartedly after a lesson, or when they just walk up to you and start a conversation that doesn't seem to go anywhere. That just shows how much they appreciate you, even though they never express it in words.
I'm glad that I have my students to brighten up my days.