Leading a class of twenty five students is no easy task. True, Arya got lucky with a great group of kids, but they still had their fair share of problems. Perhaps what Arya struggled with the most in the classroom was participation. Section 35 started out the semester as a very participatory class, but starting about six weeks into the semester, they started getting really quiet. Of course, this has a variety of explanations, but it was at times difficult to work with. It was most difficult during Study Abroad Week when Arya's friends came to present on their experiences abroad and the classroom was almost dead. However, almost as soon as they left, Arya's class asked to see pictures of her time in Paris.
The participation continued to be a problem for Arya until about week ten, when Kaitlyn had them try writing down their responses. This way, if Arya really wanted "class sharing" they had a reference point, but if not, she could just collect the papers and give them participation points based on that.
The other struggle Arya faced was a more personal one. Generally, Arya tends to get very invested in those she cares about, and that was something she had to be very careful about with her class. Yes, she cared about her students, their safety, and success a lot, but she needed to remind herself that it wasn't her deal, exactly. This was made a little harder by students such as Lyle who really opened up to her and often came to talk to her if they felt they needed someone to listen to them or advice or anything.
The method Arya employed to ensure she didn't get overinvested in her students was very simple. Mentally, she'd take two steps back and then take a deep breath. This was essential in reminding herself that it wasn't her who was facing these struggles, but her students, and as much as she wanted to solve all their problems, they needed to learn to figure things out for themselves.
The participation continued to be a problem for Arya until about week ten, when Kaitlyn had them try writing down their responses. This way, if Arya really wanted "class sharing" they had a reference point, but if not, she could just collect the papers and give them participation points based on that.
The other struggle Arya faced was a more personal one. Generally, Arya tends to get very invested in those she cares about, and that was something she had to be very careful about with her class. Yes, she cared about her students, their safety, and success a lot, but she needed to remind herself that it wasn't her deal, exactly. This was made a little harder by students such as Lyle who really opened up to her and often came to talk to her if they felt they needed someone to listen to them or advice or anything.
The method Arya employed to ensure she didn't get overinvested in her students was very simple. Mentally, she'd take two steps back and then take a deep breath. This was essential in reminding herself that it wasn't her who was facing these struggles, but her students, and as much as she wanted to solve all their problems, they needed to learn to figure things out for themselves.
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