jen jenkins for president!!

Photo: Rheemie (left) Jenkins (right)How do you know that you're a failure as a teacher? I'll tell you.
I love social studies. I'd teach it all day long if I could. You can weave in so many other contents - like reading comprehension, real life math skills, technology, etc. We have a "this day in history" moment each morning to learn about different events, and we've done some other social studies projects throughout the year. I want my kiddos to develop a global view early, especially because they themselves are so diverse, and already enrolled in a bilingual school.

Anyways, we've learned all about DC and read books about it, heard Ms. Rob tell stories about living in the nation's capital, watched an address from President Obama live once, we have his picture on our wall and a few of his quotes. (We took that picture down when he gave away houston's rightful space shuttle...but that's a story for another day.)

So, how do you know that all of your bulletin board visuals, your powerpoint presentations, and your read alouds about democracy have failed? How do you know that your "significant gains" have gone the way of the dinosaur, that your efforts have been for...nothing?

It's simple really: when one of your students sees another teacher in the hallway, and instead of saying good afternoon, they shout out, quite matter-of-factly- "YOU are the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!" Seriously. The kid was serious, and completely unaware that he left me speechless. I'm sure the look on my face was as if I had just seen Andrew Jackson's ghost.

This teacher, this young twenty-something Teach for America corps member? Sure, she's pretty, but... No, Jacob*, she is actually not the president. Wonderful teacher, future school leader, sure. Current President of our nation? Absolutely not.

Ms. Jenkins was so flusterd after the incident that she actually ran into a door repeatedly. I was so distraught that I dropped to the floor in a fetal position, unconsolable, mumbling about the executive branch and the electoral college while my children followed Ms. Jenkins out the door to recess.

Just as I was beginning to think I'd had a positive impact on my kids over the past 10 months, just when I thought maybe I should get a pat on the back for teaching them things other than how to dominate a multiple choice standardized test, we mistake Jen Jenkins for the President of the United States. Thanks for keeping my pride in check, Jacob. Hail to the chief.

*In my defense, this student does qualify for Special Education interventions each week, per the state of Texas guidelines.

Thanks for reading! You can email me for your very own "Jenkins is my President" bumper sticker. Tshirts coming soon.