9. listen and Be Kind: Find a Love of Learning

• The pandemic was stressful for teachers for many reasons, not the least of which is what seems to be constant criticism from the media. As a result, it is vital that teachers be kind to themselves. If you feel stressed, try to move. Walk, jog, or bike if you can. Realize that it’s probably circumstances that prevent you from doing the best, not the lack of your own effort.
• The title of this chapter says it all. Be patient, love each student, and let them know that via conversations, notes, or emails. Your strategy should be to wear them down with kindness. Praise their efforts. Above all, get to know them and be empathetic with their circumstances. Elizabeth recounts stories from her own teaching here and offers many specific tips for your consideration.

Conclusion

• Doing everything here won’t be easy. You may be faced with students who are resistant to your efforts based on their personal lack of success in school. This chapter does a good job of summarizing what your goals should be. The big goal is to make school seem like something other than an endless quest for the correct answer. They should be able to enjoy the beauty in what they read rather then trying to figure out which aspects of the reading will show up on the next quiz. I found this book to be full of good ideas and inspiration. I hope you do too. Thanks, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Jorgensen

• Elizabeth is an award-winning author, teacher, and speaker. She has published in The English Journal, Edutopia, Teachers & Writers Magazine, and many others. She has presented for the National Council of Teachers of English and many state organizations. She is also an expert in Korean poetry. Her undergraduate degree is from Marquette University and her master’s is from Carroll University. Her webiste is lizjorgensen.weebly.com. You can email her at elizabeth.jorgensen@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @LyzaJo.

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