Me Teach Middle School? Never!… No Way??!

I can’t believe I am entering my seventh year of teaching middle school students. See…I never wanted to teach middle school. To be honest, I never wanted to be a teacher. Post-college, living back at home, no job, no money, no boyfriend or husband-to-be on the horizon made the “never” become “(Sigh) If I have to”.

 

I vaguely remember my first middle school subbing experience. What I do remember is stepping onto the rickety wood-splintered stairs leading from the portable thinking, ” I will never teach or sub in a middle school again!” These kids were all over the place. Talking, throwing pencils, asking me tons of questions… Ugh! Never, ever, EVER!!!

 

What I didn’t know was that I was a magician. But the magic word for me wasn’t abracadabra; it was never. It worked like a charm, but I hadn’t quite mastered its power yet, because I kept using it incorrectly. It was like a moth to a flame: “never teach”, ” Me? A middle school teacher?”… “Never!”  

 

Fast forward about twelve years…

Me: “When some of you become a teacher you’ll understand…”

One of my students: “I’ll never be a teacher. I could never put up with the students like us if I were a teacher.”

Me: “Never say ‘Never’. “

Student: “No, I never will, Mrs.McCurdy…You’ll see.”

On that note, I walk back to my desk, disengaging from this debate with a knowing smile on my face. There it is again…that magic word, a future teacher in the making!