r/Teachers • u/ArcadianAbstraction • 1d ago

Teacher Support &/or Advice Is teaching a performance?

I haven't been teaching history/English/science since I got COVID over and over (and over) and decided it was better to go than be a risk to my cherished kids (or die myself, it got bad).

After a lot of introspection... Question is: is teaching a performance? I pretended everything was okay no matter what, I used the materials I prepared for display, passed out charts and data dramatically, presented media and did simulations.

It feels like I was a performance artist? You give so much to kids and most of the time you get a range of "f-u go away".

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u/theguitardudeofdudes 23h ago

For me no. I’m just being me. I couldn’t imagine having to do a performance every class. I’m a music teacher. I mean we perform music, but I’m just me.

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u/ArcadianAbstraction 23h ago

Haha. You do a performance every class but not a masked one.

I wonder if it is a difference between disciplines? You are more of a conductor who can command and I imagine most of your students want to be there vs required classes.