A Balancing Act: Creativity, Coolness, and Crossing the Line

When teaching 8^th graders, there is a fine line between relating to the kids and being the authority in the classroom.  I have heard several stories of teachers who, in an effort to be buddies with their students, lost complete classroom control or, even worse, crossed the line resulting in a change in their job.  It is so important for those of us in the teaching profession to be able to connect with students in order to engage them, but it must be done appropriately.  I made an attempt at this dangerous balancing act with one of my lessons last week.

We are currently picking apart and analyzing Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”.  A few days ago, it was my goal to get students to understand how rhyme and meter make it so that this haunting poem has a sing-song flow that gets stuck like a broken record in a reader’s head.  In order to bring this to a level where my students could better understand, I connected this poem, viewed by these 13 and 14-year-olds as ancient, with songs song by modern rap artists.  “Essentially,” I told them, “’The Raven’ is one of the earliest forms of rap!”  At this thought, I saw my students’ eyes light up with a lightbulb of engagement.  I then proceeded to blast the beat to the well-known song “Low” throughout the four corners of my classroom.  I divided the classroom by boys and girls, and we literally “rapped” “The Raven” and had a contest to see which group could do better.  This lesson was a major success but not without a few potential risks.  I was able to incorporate the “cool” factor while at the same time delicately balancing the fun with strict management of my classroom.

Later on in the week, the act of balancing being relatable and being professional  nearly toppled over in my face.  My students in social studies were discussing the transatlantic slave trade, and we did a comparison between that horrific time in history to the modern slave trade devastating all parts of the globe today.  This opened up the door for a lot of interesting discussion.  I asked the question, “What social sins do we permit today that our great great grandchildren many years from now might look down upon in disgust?”  While my students energetically voiced their answers, one group of girls asked me if they could share their thoughts privately.  When we had a chance to talk, they told me about several shocking issues involving their safety and the safety of their friends.  They ended their conversation with me by saying that they felt so comfortable talking to me and were glad they could trust me and so forth.  However, as a mandatory reporter, I had to tell administration.  My superiors encouraged me to immediately call home that afternoon.  It was one of the most difficult phone calls I had to make because I had to break their confidence.

I learned a powerful lesson that day.  For one, I do need to be the teacher that my students feel comfortable talking to, but I have to always keep up a professional wall.  I am not their friend, per se, but I still need to be kind, open, and relatable.   I am still learning to juggle what my role actually is.  At times I am a mentor, a friend, and a listening ear.  Above all, I am a professional.  Lord, give me discernment!