College classrooms; high school students.
Teaching and learning.
Making tests; taking tests.
The assessor; the assessed.
It’s a contrastive life, my friend,
As both student and teacher.
“Ms. Herbert, when is this due?”
“Sarah, do you have your lesson plan?”
“Class, please turn to page…”
“Don’t forget to grade the…”
Semester plan, student teaching autobiography,
Common core standards, conceptual framework.
Writing, performing, reading, learning, meeting, practicing.
Sometimes angry, usually frustrated, and always preparing for something.
Tired. Very tired.
Stressed cannot describe!
Wait, did I grade those papers?
Have I finished my blog post?
No time for sleep: Must. Write. More.
I think I’m finally finished.
Check that off the list.
Where’s my checklist?
Slow down.
Take a breath, I tell myself.
Someday soon, I’ll be through,
No longer both student and teacher;
But always a student
And finally the teacher!
Sarah, I love this poem. I find it extremely relevant to my own life. It is also comforting to know that there are others out there who are feeling the same pressures! We are forced to wear several hats this semester, and I like how you were able to describe the responsibilities we have as student and teacher. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this mainly because (of course) I can relate to it so well. It seems like there is so much to do and so little time these days. The poem's structure shows the haste and the shortness of the lines emphasize the rushing that we all feel this semester. The last paragraph though is soothing, and of course that's the calm at the end of the storm that we are all working towards :) Thanks for sharing!!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for expressing the duality of being both a teacher and a student. I could relate to your piece and I appreciated the way that you put your experiences into words. I especially liked the line: "No time for sleep: Must. Write. More." :D Made me chuckle over all the nights when I have been beyond exhausted and manacled to my laptop. It's nice to know that we are all experiencing the same things and that we are in this together.
- Mercy
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a poem that relates to me and the way I feel most of the time so well. It can be a really stressful time in trying to be both a full time student and a part time teacher. It's enough to make you long for the future and you capture that very well here. I especially like your "Must. Write. More." response to the lack of sleep. I think we've all had to experience that at least once already this semester if not before and in the future yet to come. But, like you said, sometimes soon it won't be this way anymore. Thanks for that.
Oh Sarah, this is marvelous--in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your reflection works so well as a poem. The lines, the flow, I can tell that you spent a considerable amount of time working on this. Also, this poem has palpable humor I can relate to--LOVE! I share in your exact sentiments, both about the college classroom and the high school setting. Too often, it's easy to get overwhelmed and lose track of what assignment, what task, etc. goes with what class. Teaching or learning? Learning or teaching? Both. Haha. Lastly, when I finished this poem, I felt a sense of contentment--like everything really WILL be okay in the end. Thank you for having the courage to admit "Yes, I'm confused and everything's chaotic right now, but I WILL SUCCEED!" Feel free to direct me to your reflections when I am overwhelmed :) Thank you for your creativity, honesty, and encouragement, friend!
Sarah - I feel like you have captured my life in this poem. Have you been spying on me?
ReplyDeleteI love it for so many reasons. I am particularly fond of the line "sometimes angry, usually frustrated, and always preparing for something". When I read this, I thought, YES! That is exactly how I feel! I believe that you have captured the feelings of nearly every pre-student teacher, and you did it beautifully. The choppy feel of the beginning lines represents how chaotic and overwhelming school can be. Thank you, so very much, for writing this piece. Well done!