Students are like cats, and to love them is to teach them

Isaac with his mom (my daughter) Quinn.

   While petting one of my four cats recently I marveled how completely different they all are.

   Isaac likes to play fetch, and will jump three feet high to grab a toy out my hand. But we don’t dare pet him on the back because he hates that. He loves hanging over a shoulder, but only in the morning.

   Dolly likes to greet me every morning by running into the room and jumping on my stomach. At night she likes to chase me around the house like a cat and mouse. Dolly hates being picked up or carried, and she loves being combed.

   Rex is the vocal one, but only in the morning. He has the most beautiful meow I’ve ever heard. It’s nearly singing. He also fetches, but only when he feels like it. He hates being combed.

   Sophie, Rex’s sister, is the silent type. She likes to be held but looks absolutely terrified and is as stiff as a board. She doesn’t fetch, doesn't mind being combed, and plays rather rough with her much bigger brother.

  As I was thinking about their varying personalities it struck me that felines are like students! No, I’m not saying students are animals, or that I treat them like cats. The point I’m making is that students are like cats, so you can’t treat them all the same way.

   Cats have a rep for being independent and stubborn, though some are rather needy, and yet others are mean as snakes and would claw your hand off if you attempted to coddle them.

   Throughout a semester or school year teachers get to know their cats, I mean kids, pretty well. Let's face it, what teacher hasn’t encountered these same personalities traits?

   Here’s a list of the most common types of students I’ve dealt with over the years:

·      Teacher’s pet. These types always aim to please. They appear to listen to every word I say, take lots of notes and never miss a class. This is why they're the teacher’s pets! I’d be lying if I said we always hope for perfect students in every class, but that’s unrealistic and would be quite boring.

·      Inquisitive. They can’t ask too many questions, and often to the annoyance of their classmates. Even when they know the answers they ask the questions. But every class needs one of these types because they ask important questions that too many students are afraid to ask.

·      Defensive. Most everything I say is either not how they heard it, or not how they learned it before. They know better, and think I should know more! I just have to remind myself to take a deep breath and not get defensive myself.

·      Insecure. These students simply need attention, though it’s hard to notice since they often tend to be invisible. I often wonder if they were neglected, or carry a chip on their shoulders due to social or economic factors. These are the kids who should not be ignored, even if they are a little defensive. I try to give these students a little more attention.

·      Egotistical. This type frustrates me a bit. Sure, they have talent, but it takes more than talent to make it in this business. Here's one problem: if they think they know everything, then they won’t listen to instructions because they want to do everything their own way. These over-confident types don’t understand yet that someone is always their boss, even if they are freelance, and they need to do things as instructed. Another problem is they often aren’t open to improving or learning. I counter this attitude by docking grades when all students don’t follow even the smallest assignment details!

·      The techie. These students, most of which are CRT (computer arts majors), are much appreciated because they bring a skill set I sometimes lack. They are often willing to share their knowledge with the class, and seem to actually enjoy helping their classmates, and me. Hey, we teachers don’t know everything, and we never will!

   Okay, you can't really compare a cat to a techie, but you know what I mean. Teachers should be cat people, even the ones with sharp claws, because it's our job to teach even the unteachable.
   So yes, I love all of my cats, because, after all, I'm the cat lady.