Novice Teachers

Lucien Freud

It is almost always noticeable when a teacher is a novice. It’s a fear I hold myself. Being found out. Caught in the open with no foliage to hide me. Foliage being books and theory. A ropey moment in the classroom and everything freezes and the student’s faces turn lopsided in wonder and pity. They’d know, then everything would be lost.

I suppose this is why we arm ourselves with tools fashioned from the foliage. Stripped-down, sharpened theories to spear encroaching humiliation, and hardened lesson planning act as shelter from wandering time-wasters.

It is not a surprise to find out then, that novice teachers often set too difficult tasks. We don’t want the group to know we’re fresh puplings with our eyes barely open, their teeth and tongues ready to gnash in conversation over our quiet whimpers. So, we give the students something really hard. Of course.