Have you ever heard the word: ephebiphobia? I hadn’t either, so I went to the source of all knowledge and wisdom… Wikipedia. I actually found a pretty interesting article about it. Ephebiphobia can be defined as: “an inaccurate, exaggerated and sensational of young people.” I thought this was interesting. And I could definitely relate to the idea of being scared of teenagers.
When I graduated from college, I was officially certified to teach the Family and Consumer Science (Home Economics) classes in grades 6-12. One thing my college education didn’t provide me with was the “guts” to teach high school students. The idea scared me out of my mind! I did my student teaching in a middle school (6th and 7th grades) and thought that my calling in life was to be a middle school teacher. It also confirmed my idea that I should have stuck with the younger kids.
After graduating, I remember thinking, “High school students terrify me, what was I thinking!? Why didn’t I choose the little kids? They are so fun and easy to please. High school students have an opinion and a bad attitude.”
When I was a substitute teacher I only substitute taught in a high school one time. I was so nervous about it that I was there before the school secretary! One day I got a phone call asking if I wanted to interview for a position at a high school. My heart sank. I needed a job… I desperately wanted a job! Was I desperate enough to even interview at a high school? The answer to that question was yes, yes I was that desperate. So I interviewed on the first Wednesday in March, was hired that Friday and started Monday morning at 7 am.
The first day teaching high school will be forever ingrained in my memory. To say I was nervous would be like saying Mount Everest is a small hill. In just a few days I had my own classroom, I had my own students, and I was supposed to be the adult in the classroom. (I am getting anxiety just thinking back to that day! Breathe in… breathe out…)
Then the students started walking in.
My heart was pounding. I was so nervous. I was expecting a fight to break out or for the students to swear at me and see right through me to the insecure first year teacher that I was.
None of that happened. The day went pretty smooth. The students seemed okay with me in their classroom.
The more time I spent around high school students, the more I came to appreciate their depth, insight, kindness, and humor. What did I actually find teenagers to be like? They are confused and in need of a kind word as well as leadership. They need consistency and guidelines. They need a smile. They need to know they are enough and if they are on a good path.
What did I come to see in the eyes of some teenagers?
I saw goodness:
There was a student named Adam who got a whole group of friends together and asked all of the students in the special education class to the Homecoming dance.
I saw kindness:
Any time there was a guest speaker coming to the class, the students would stand up and applaud the person when s/he would walk into the door. They wanted to make sure each person felt welcome into our classroom.
I saw sincerity:
I walked into my classroom one time to find balloons and a Dr. Pepper, with a flower and a huge poster that several students had made for me because they found out it was my birthday.
I saw an ability to look past the limits adults can sometimes put on themselves:(Pay particular attention to his friend’s response when he says that they are too young to make a difference.)
I saw vision:
www.nocussing.com
And I wasn’t the only one who saw these things. I asked my coworker, the chemistry teacher, her thoughts about high school students and she had some incredible insights.
“I actually love high school kids and gravitate toward them at weddings or gatherings. They are at a beautiful time of life-not weighed down with worries of finances, kids, spouses, but they always have fresh things to talk about. They know what’s cool in music, what’s in, are on the cutting edge of what’s out there for technology or anything cool. They’re fun to talk to.
They are old enough to ‘get’ jokes and my humor and can dish it back. They are sassy, fun, and funny to be around. They’re at the age that you can give them the “whys” behind why you teach a certain way.
For example, we can explain how the brain works and why we need to chunk our learning. They respect you if you respect them, no baby talk, just be honest and give it to them straight. They are full of energy. They want to be accepted and as a teacher I loved helping them feel as though they were home in my class… that they were safe.
High school students are also kind. I remember when I was pregnant and I felt sick so I said we were having a break. The students brought me a wet towel, ice, and a drink. Several of the students bought outfits for the baby. The students also care about each other. Often times we would use someone’s cell phone to call a missing student to let him/her know we missed them.”
I have come to love and appreciate high school students myself. I love that there are so many possibilities still before them. I would hope at some point you get to experience that feeling. Even though it is nerve racking, I would encourage you to take substitute teaching jobs that are in high school settings. You might be like me and end up really loving it.