Dreading Monday cuz can’t imagine how this “touchy feely” personality is going to survive eight hours without being, of course, “touchy feely.”
Reminisced about those “basement days” when lots of “steam heat” was created simply from using the sensory emotion of “touch” which transmitted “devilment” to those unavoidable kinetic impulses located at our nerve centers while the melodic and soulful sounds of Isaac Hayes pelted youthful adventure, experimentation, and indiscretions to our impressionable imagination.
Mercy!
However, reminiscing about those “sexual healing” days isn’t applicable to Monday! On Monday, folks are demanding from me behavioral dexterity and flexibility that will strain my internal award system.
Let me explain.
By all accounts, I am a “laser-sharp” educator. In other words, I am a portrait and personification of someone who has the innate ability to connect, motivate, empower, influence, and inspire people. Guess that’s why I naturally gravitated to the teaching profession.
Simply, my vibrant communication style, as a skilled and dynamic teacher, is to affirm, not just instruct! Desiring excellence, I carve out time to mete out sincere compliments, forge encouragement, build camaraderie, celebrate milestones, rally accomplishments, and create an ongoing “love affair,” intellectual inquisitiveness, unquenchable thirst, and exhilaration for learning.
Teaching is relationship building, too!
Majority of the time I create and establish “warmth” by reaching out and often “touching” a student’s arm, shoulder, or by shaking their hand when making a point, in expressing that I care, or to give positive feedback regarding my delight when he or she is able to overcome a difficult learning activity that had once depleted his or her self-esteem and encouragement vessel!
“Touching” is a powerful morale booster, as well!
Bottom line, these heart-to-heart exchanges are merely friendly interactions, expressions for the appreciation of one’s achievements, and are always non-threatening and non-sexual contacts meant to create bonding with the students’ enthusiasm!
Teaching makes my heart palpitate!
In over three decades of toiling and plodding in this wonderful profession, never ONCE has anyone interpreted or misinterpreted my well-meaning actions or intent.
Accepted an invitation to serve as a substitute teacher on Monday and was buoyant about this opportunity in sharing my wealth and depth of work, life, and career experiences with the scholars until I was saddled with some bureaucratic ballyhoo during orientation. According to this representative, under no circumstances am I allowed to EVER “touch” a student!
Are you freaking kidding me?
Had difficulty masking my angst and displeasure regarding this district’s insidious edit and wondered if that “touching” rule applied if I observed a student choking to death!
Hmmm.
Sue me school district, but if I see an innocent child choking, “bump” your “touching” policy as I plan to aggressively render life-saving assistance to the distressed child by performing the Heimlich maneuver as I would hope a compassionate person would readily do the same for my precious and incapacitated daughter!
Humanity trumps your dumb-azz rule.
Anyway, on Monday, will woo, spur, sustain, fuel, and energize my students’ love for outstanding academic achievement and personal success with an extra layer of defense…..
Plan to wear a damn burka!
