The Other Side of the Desk

I can definitively say that I was the epitome of an angsty pre-teen during my 7^th grade year at Highlander Way Middle School.  They had just redistricted HPS, and instead of going back to Three Fires Middle School for 7^th grade, I went to Highlander Way.  Naturally, I despised that move because it forced me to make friends all over again.  Being all too pre-occupied with the social hierarchy of middle school, I had scant time to devote to actually being a decent student. 

Thus, it happened one fine winter day in 2006 that I ditched my science homework on a week night in favor of a night shredding the gnar at Mt. Brighton.  Of course, snowboarding at Mt. Brighton as a middle schooler is much more about competing for who can be the biggest d-bag in the terrain park – and consequently becoming the one that all the cool kids talk about the next day at school – than it is about actually snowboarding.

And so, the next day when we turned in our homework assignments, I had (with a smug look on my face) nothing to give my science teacher.  The consequence for this was that I had to write a one page paper on why I didn’t do my science homework.  Of course, to me this was just another example of how every authority figure was out to get me that year, so I begrudgingly took to the task that night.  I distinctly remember the first sentence of that paper being, “I didn’t do my science homework because I think snowboarding is more fun, and better than science homework.”  I then went on to describe the many advantages of a night of snowboarding as compared to a night of science homework, because, let’s be real, knowing the periodic table in 7^th grade won’t get you girls, but a 180 of the big air and an almost-fight with a skier will.

However, after turning in that superb essay, I incurred the wrath of my science teacher, which was terrifying for me, but more importantly a huge headache for him.  He (rightly) scolded me for not respecting him or caring about his class, all the while I showed him I still didn’t care by shrugging off everything he said.

Middle schoolers man…

Fast forward 11 years and here I am, a middle school teacher.  The shoe is most certainly on the other foot.

I was of course extremely nervous when I first heard I was placed in a middle school, but I’m liking it more and more every day.  Compared to middle school students back home, Korean middle school students (in my experience) tend to be much better behaved and have a deeper respect for authority.

I also feel like I can relate a little more to middle schoolers than I would elementary schoolers.  I can have deeper conversations with them and build stronger relationships.

Nonetheless pre-teens are pre-teens anywhere in the world, and they can be crazy – we’ve had about 3 windows broken since my arrival.  They scream and yell and push each other around in the hallway.  Sometimes they like to test out newly-acquired swear words in my class.  Some of them may even sleep or have side conversations during my teaching.  Sometimes I do have to break up my angry-teacher-voice.  However, I do know that the vast majority of my students have much more respect for me now than I had for my science teacher back when I was a little turd-nugget.  It’s all about perspective.