The #2PencilChat is a weekly conversation about educational technology. As we enter a more student-centered age, let's talk about using all the tools in our toolboxes to be innovative and dynamic teachers.
Welcome to the #2PencilChat! Tonight we’re gonna be big ol’ crybabies, and talk about tears and education. Grab some tissues, introduce yourself, and say, “Hey!”
A1 I was reading the kids' version of Marley & Me (Marley...) to kids after getting back from medical leave. My first day was when Marley was diagnosed with bloat. Sobbing: "This is really tough to read."
Kid: "Uh-huh, it's really tough to listen to, too!"
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A1 Once I cried in front of a class that I was working in as an LTO. I ❤️ the kids. I just told them I was super sad to have to leave them 😥#2PencilChat
A1- My Ss have seen me cry many times- at the beginning they didn't know quite what to do and some well up automatically as well. I've cried reading books, speaking about things important to me, telling emotional stories etc. I'm a crier. #2PencilChat
A1 - Part 2 - I think it's helpful for students to see me shed some tears, and just respond with. "Excuse me." I want my kids to know that it's okay to cry for a good reason. #2PencilChat
A1: I’m still a preservice teacher but I do anticipate that I will at some point tear up in front of my students. Hopefully they’ll be happ tears! #2PencilChat
A1) Of course! I am an English teacher! A perfectly formed sentence can bring me to tears! I am the overly emotional "Mom" teacher that cries for my students...with my students...and when I have to say goodbye to my students!
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A1 During my first year of teaching in Jax, FL, I read Where the Red Fern Grows as a read aloud. Oops! Eyes got a little damp! It made some of my students cry when they saw my reaction. 😥 #2PencilChat
A1: Brief tears: with a class many years ago when an S died... 2 ya hosting our school’s film awards, received award & dedicated it to my mom who passed that year... not really a crier... #2pencilchat
A1: I've cried during read alouds. I've cried on the last day of school. I've also, on rare occasion, let my kids see me cry when I'm frustrated or disappointed. They need to know it's okay to have emotions #2PencilChat
A1: Happened every year I taught. It was always during a share out of how amazing they all were/are. It helped every student realize that I loved them and genuinely thought the world of them. #2PencilChat
A1: I've never cried in front of students. But I have seen Ss cry. I tell them (if they want to) they can go to the restroom or go get some water. #2pencilchat
A1: Luckily I haven't cried in front of my students yet (first year teacher) but I know it's coming! There have been one or two times where I wanted to cry, but held on and saved it for after school. My student's personal lives pull at my heartstrings the most. #2PencilChat
Crying, or just feeling emotions in general, is a natural part of life. We need to model how to handle different emotions just like we would model how to solve math problems. #2PencilChat
YASSS!!!! It's a beautiful thing to be seen...and to know you are seeing people for who they are and who they will become. If articulating that doesn't bring you to tears...I don't know what will!
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Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
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Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2 I have never cried because of work related stress.... I've lost sleep, but I find ways to channel my stress into a useful energy (after much introspection) #2PencilChat
Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2: That was me last year, during school hours and after hours... All good now! What gets me most is when you working your hardest and people make you feel like you still aren't doing enough. Really, no one goes to work saying they are going to stink today. #2pencilchat
Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2 Last week, our staff found out a colleague's husband has terminal esophageal cancer. 3 young kids... He's been saving others' lives as a firefighter, and now he's fighting for his own life. Prayers appreciated! #2PencilChat
Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2: That was me last year, during school hours and after hours... All good now! What gets me most is when you working your hardest and people make you feel like you still aren't doing enough. Really, no one goes to work saying they are going to stink today. #2pencilchat
Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2: I cry outside of school when I'm feeling overwhelmed. The to-do list never shrinks and the list of things I wish I could do to help my students grows. I also cry out of frustration when I feel like people aren't trusting me to do what I was trained to do. #2PencilChat
A2: Of course I do. What gets me? The realization that I can’t singlehandedly fix it all. I hate feeling confined in the face of inequity. #2PencilChat
A2: Sometimes what I find frustrating especially from my problem-solving class discussions is when we want to make a lesson fun an engaging but superiors may think it’s not sticking to the curriculum #2PencilChat
A2- During my 1st year I would cry before/during/after school. It was tough. Hasn't happened in a long time- it's more the wake-up-at-3-and-stay-up these days. #2PencilChat
A2) I've experienced losing students to suicide, and I've experienced helping students who have contemplated suicide. To know I missed something is crushing...and to know I caught something is just as crushing.
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A1: I’ve lost count how many Ss have cried in front of me. Worried about sick family members, relationship problems, friend problems, stressed out, etc. I just listen empathetically. #2PencilChat
I often benefit from this reminder, so I wanted to share it with Twitter edu friends. “Looking beyond the behaviour” is not always easy, but so important...the dignity and well-being of our students is at stake! #kidsdeserveit#bfc530#tlap#2PencilChat@mraspinall@DavidGeurin
A2 - Embarrassingly enough I have cried this year but not stress related rather an injustice suffered by one truly awesome kiddo at the hands of another teacher. #2pencilchat
A2: All. The. Time. Sometimes it's over a bad day, not feeling adequate to teach my kiddos, or the endless list of "to-do's" that never gets done. I'm very passionate about teaching, so much of it hits me right in the heart! #2PencilChat
Q2 Teaching is an incredibly stressful job - the stakes are high, it’s an incredibly personal job, and you’re helping people who don’t always want your help. Do you ever cry about school things after hours? What gets you most?
#2PencilChat
A2: I’ve not cried in front of my Ss in awhile. Last time was when my aunt died and a student asked why I seemed so sad. What broke my heart was when a student’s father passed away. I knew the dad. Really nice guy. Gave the kid a big hug. #2PencilChat
I remember trying so hard not to cry when I was writing notes on the chalkboard, forcing a smile on my face and then awkwardly blinking away my tears before turning around to face the Ss. #2PencilChat
A3: If it's the job in general, make a list of all the things you DO like about it. Focusing on positive can help, at least for a while. If the negatives outweigh the positives, you may want to start thinking about plan B. If it's stress, do something you love ASAP! #2PencilChat
A3: finding other possibilities! Try and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Theres a saying “at the end of some tears is great ideas”.... that’s a saying right? #2PencilChat
A3) Sadness in our job is a reminder of just how important our job is! I wouldn't cry if it didn't matter...if these students didn't matter. My tears are a reminder that my job matters...that I matter. Then I blow my nose and get back to getting after it!
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A3: unapologetically share your despair. Teachers need to know that they’re not crazy for feeling this way. This starts with sharing these feels when they hit you. #2PencilChat
A3 For me, I look at the crying as a cathartic release of stress. It's like a reset, and afterward, I'm able to focus on whatever problem put me in cry-mode better.
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A2: I’ve cried at home when I learned one of my students was homeless. There have been a few other times. Most involved helping Ss in horrible situations that just broke my heart. #2PencilChat
A3: Cry it out and then get to the root of the problem. The tears usually aren't about the papers I need to grade or the e-mail I got. It's generally something deeper. Reflecting and then responding to that reflection is needed in those moments #2PencilChat
A3: First year teachingis a special kind of Hell. Malcolm Gladwell has an article comparing student-teachers to college football players... I think it’s titled MVP... great, insightful article!!! #2pencilchat
I always have a soft spot for the kids who are labelled trouble makers etc. they’re the ones who bring life to your classroom and a different perspective! #2PencilChat
A4: Sometimes you just need to get it all out! That may be because I'm a girl...but I do feel better once I do. That, and it forces me to talk about what's on my mind. Venting (to the right people) can be powerful. #2PencilChat Naming the problem is the first step to solving it.
A3: Most of the time my cry sessions are in the car, so I'll turn up some music and think about what I can control and what's out of my hands. Then, what can I change or improve? I'm always trying to better my craft. #2PencilChat
A4: Crying is like throwing up... All day you feel awful, hug the toilet for five minutes, and it’s all good... Awful day, you feel badly, cry for a few, then you feel better... #2pencilchat
A4. Sometimes it is all you need to get back at it again. I’m glad Ts feel that emotion - it shows engagement, empathy and that they genuinely care. For every tear I’ve shed in sadness, I’ve shed two in laughter / joy. #2PencilChat
A4: It lets out whatever it is that’s been bothering you. Maybe situations that you’ve been ignoring that can’t be ignored. It’s can also help chip away at whatever been bringing you down and you feel fresh after a good crying out session! #2PencilChat
A4 - Crying can be a healthy release of emotion. It's also an outward sign that someone needs help. When people can see you crying they're more likely to ask if you're okay. It gives you an opportunity to ask for help that might otherwise be missed. #2PencilChat
A4: “Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems”-Sadness from Inside Out
It offers perspective and calm to that which is insurmountable. #2PencilChat
A3 It's okay 2 have down days in teaching-That's to be expected. Tip: Figure out what makes you "down" then, find "hope" 2 carry on. Hope is a great #oneword. It stands by me in days when I need it-helps me get 2 next level-makes me know that better days are ahead. #2PencilChat
A5: I usually talk to the counselor ahead of time and relay my suspicion. I then tell the student I’m very worried and want them to talk to the counselor. #2PencilChat
A5 - Tell them to get a drink and go to the bathroom. Once they're back, find time to talk to them and figure out what's really going on. The attention is needed, but the way they seek it out isn't always productive #2PencilChat
A5- I really don't see any of my Ss crying unless they really, truly need that release. Even if it seems like it came out of nowhere or that it's attention-seeking- I view it as connection-seeking and it lets me respond with empathy #2PencilChat
A5 I speak to those students privately and offer other strategies they can use for communicating. This is after making sure there's not a more serious issue going on. #2PencilChat
A4 crying is cathartic and I’ve always viewed it as washing away the pain and negativity. To quote a new fave author, crying for me is the way I #girlwashyourface@msrachelhollis#2PencilChat
Thanks, Sean, for the drop in to #2PencilChat. I have to get ready for the neighborhood kids #Halloween Trick or Treating. Got my Buncee ready 2 read 2 kids who want to listen. See https://t.co/OExa92xij8
It’s not common, but I’ve had one of two older Ss do it because they wanted attention. After the second or third time, I mentioned I was worried and wanted them to talk with the counselor (I was going to be there as well). The truth came out after that. #2PencilChat
A4: Crying is theraputic for me. It forces me to think about what caused me to get so upset in the first place. Once I'm done I feel better and normally have a game plan on how to tackle the issue. #2PencilChat
A6 Great question! Thank you. I have to share this...https://t.co/vjL0TT84fk
While Michael wasn't "crying," he was certainly asking for help. #2pencilchat
A6: By offering a listening ear, a hug (if appropriate in your area), a strategy (also if appropriate), and the knowlege that you will be there for him or her. #2PencilChat
A5: I always tell my students it's okay to cry. I get down on their level and try to find the root of the problem. I stay very calm and inch them slowly back towards what we're working on. Or sometimes they just need to cry it out in my office, which is okay too! #2PencilChat
