“I believe that children are our future, Teach them well and let them lead the way.” Whitney Houston
I love this line from Whitney Houston’s song and yes, I really do believe that children are our future. It is the teach them well and let them lead the way part that I sometimes struggle with. I love it when I see the light bulb or Ah ha moment in a student’s eyes. That moment that tells me that they figured it out. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a student master a difficult (to them) concept.
The struggle comes when I watch that student goof off, not take their learning seriously, refuse to work up to their potential, and choose to disrupt other’s learning just because they want to screw off and don’t value their learning.
As much as I hate watching that child fritter away their education, I love it when I hear another student pipe up and tell the one goofing off to behave. When these students realize that they are not as funny as they thought to their peers, it seems like they grow up and mature faster.
So for all of you students out there, getting irritated at the class clown, don’t be afraid to give them a piece of your mind instead of it always being the teacher. Let them know that their peers DON’T find them as funny as they think. You will be helping them to grow and mature. Do it for your generation.
Musings of an old English teacher 
>Let them know that their peers DON’T find them as funny as they think. <
Yup, preach on! If one student would do it, the other silent leaders of the group might find their own voices. Who knows what a revolution could take place? 🙂
Thank you for sharing with us!
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I have a feeling your students are much older than my preschoolers…though we do have contagious goofiness sometimes. Today, a funny incident – trying to find out what letters one little one knew, another student innocently fed him answers. I was thinking how wrong this would be in a matter of years – I see it as innocent at age 3, but not so at age 10 or 15.
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That is true, my students are 14-16, so about 11-13 years older, but of course a few of them act like they are 3.
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I agree but I also have a very different perspective. I feel like these the teacher and classrooms are teaching them knowledge. But I personally always try not to smirk and laugh along, because I feel like I am watching the goof balls express themselves and bloom as a human and a soul. Whether it be good or bad or disruptive or not, it is part of who they are as a human and a soul and I have a soft spot for the kids you speak of. I love watching kids grow and express themselves, both in the educational sense and the goofy, awkward, personality sense. Love kids.
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I can relate! I have a class with about 6 out of 16 clowns. We do not work efficiently and it is so frustrating. I’m trying! I am encouraged, though, by a student in another class that just calls kids out, “Larry, can you stop talking while I’m trying to work.” I’ve heard the boys complain she is “bossy,” which cracks me up because I think that assertiveness and advocacy will treat her well in years to come, little do they know.
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I agree. So many people and students don’t stick up for someone and they allow people like the class “joker” to get away with it all the time
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