Rock Star Teachers · 16 December 2023
I never knew I was a rock star. (Apologies to those who really are rock stars.)
Okay. I am not a rock start. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But I found out that apparently some students think that some of their teachers are rock stars. It was a humbling experience. (Especially, since none of the students I talked to thought I was a rock star.)
(I must apologize to actual rock stars. Especially those on that commercial where they say they are tired of people using the term “rock star” for those who are doing well at something. I do not even know what the ad was for, but it was clever seeing a bunch of real rock stars telling people to quit using “rock star” to tell people they are doing a great job. After all, the ad tells us, there are real rock stars, and apparently they do not like being compared to the rest of us normal folks.)
At any rate.
I found out that some of our students think that at least some of their teachers are rock stars when I was leaving our staff Christmas party. There they were. Six starry-eyed teens clamoring to see who was at the party. They were ostensibly over at one of the student’s houses getting ready to go back to school for a basketball game. As we talked, it became apparent that they were really there trying to get a glimpse of their rock star teachers. (Sorry again.)
Which seemed odd. After all, these same students see their teachers nearly every day at school. Why all the clamor?
Apparently, students think that teachers only exist at school. Apparently, teachers disappear from school each evening and then reappear each morning. Apparently, seeing them outside of school is such a rarity that they get all starry-eyed, and wonder what they might be doing letting ordinary people see them out in the wild. In the real world.
I suppose I can see that to a certain extent. After all, there are teachers who do not want to teach in a school district where they live. They do not want the awkward interactions of seeing their students at the store. Or just out and about. Worse yet, they do not want the even more awkward interactions of seeing students’ parents out and about. Or worst of all, they do not want the awkward interactions of seeing students and their parents in the real world. The thing is, I never thought of those interactions from the student point of view.
The six starry-eyed teens that I chatted with outside the Christmas party were quite enlightening. They said that they seldom saw any of the teachers outside the building. Ever. Even those who live in the district. Of course, the one who lived across the street (ostensibly) said that she sees her neighbor teacher, but that is about it. The others said that it was such a rarity seeing their teachers outside of the building. Apparently, it is like catching a glimpse of Big Foot in the forest. Or like seeing a rock star anywhere.
It was fun chatting with said teens. They kept trying to catch glimpses of this or that teacher. Oh! Oh! It’s (insert name here)! They were so excited when somebody walked by the front window. Especially, when they thought one of them was going to come out the door.
Well, I never imagined that any students thought of any of their teachers that way, but it is nice to know that students see teachers and all the staff at our school in such a positive light. It is especially nice to know that at least some of them think that at least some of us are rock stars. (Again, my apologies to those who are actual rock stars.)
© 2023 Michael T. Miyoshi
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