Last time i've typed some keys of my keyboard to write something about days goin' on was at the beginning of this year. These almost 7 months have gone so fast, but even if i haven't written about what i've had inside for this long period, every sensation is very well impressed in my memory and especially in my soul.
These seven months have been long, busy, exciting, sad, though, serene.
I've spent the great majority of my time doing something that was not totally new to me, but not even ordinary. I've taught in a middle school as a Professor of french and this experience has been extremely enriching, upsetting, overwhelming, encouraging.
My mind was very concentrated on this task, not simply concretely preparing exercices and test, but exploring the minds of those surrounding me: students and colleagues.
Teaching to students of that age is not easy; i was very used to relate -especially in the last 2 years- to adults. I'm talking about companies employees and managers with whom i had a very nice relationship, but still it's a target very different from the one i've had the chance to experience this year. Kids need much more than simply learning a foreign language. Having only 2h per each class, i've probably missed a lot about the caharacters i had in front of me, but i tried anyway to give an added value to my lessons and to the time i've spent with my students, trying to attract them in every possible way. They need a lot and i'm sure that teachers can do a difference but it's never enough. They need trust and encouragment, they need strictness and rules, they need a point of reference and support. Some of them can't find these things in their family and i feel like school has to play a role in helping the students. This sometimes happens, but in many other cases the school is like an outlaw.
I've learned a lot this year. I've learned to look inside myself better. I learned to give more than one possibility to others. I learned from the spontaneity of young people and from the experience of the oldest ones who shared this school year with me. Sometimes i learned more from the younger than the older and i've been very deceived by the behaviours of those from which I should learn because of their age and their position. Sometimes i felt very unexperienced compared to them, but at the same time much more accurate in my everyday tasks, more correct and impartial in my behaviours. I feel like it's important to be loyal with students, they realize it when you're not.
The final exams have been a good test for all of us. It has been a lot of work, but i didn't complain, i enjoyed the period. And school has gone with its goodbyes and this first part of the year which has been very special and a growing time of this life.
