Maybe I Take This Teacher Thing A Bit Too Far…
This last weekend, it was brought to my attention that sometimes I speak to adults as if they were 8-year olds. (My immediate response, in case you were wondering was, “Well, stop acting like an 8-year old.” Self-reflective, I know.)
I guess my brother-in-law felt the need to inform me of this behavior after I wagged my finger in his face (seriously, I can shake my Teacher Finger faster than a metronome) and asked him, “Is that really where you want to leave the suntan lotion?” Just for some background, we were on a boat, and he decided to leave the sunblock resting on the edge, where it was in danger of falling into the water, and I, for one, take my sun protection quite seriously.
All of a sudden, everyone (meaning my husband and sister) decided to chime in with similar examples. Evidently, I have been overheard saying the following, all of which offend my family by assuming that they are children.
To my husband as I notice his sneakers and assorted workout gear lying all around the house: “Honey, do we really want this to be a house where there is clutter laying around everywhere?”
To my sister as she complains about our brother not pitching in for drinks at the bar: “Why don’t you start by saying two nice things about (our brother) before you start tattling on him? Then maybe you’ll forget what you are so angry about.”
I guess when it’s all out there, it does make me sound fairly obnoxious. However, I choose to think about it as being the voice of reason. Granted I am “better” (I put that in quotes because I don’t see it as a sickness but clearly, everyone around me does) in the summer when I am not forced to constantly monitor and redirect the behavior of 20 8-year olds, but I evidently am still fairly annoying.
Can you blame me?
leesepea
Oh, I’m totally the same way!
My husband says I’m “better” during the school year, when I have students to boss around/admonish/assign things to.
Over the summer? After a few weeks, apparently, I attempt to map out his agenda and boss him around.
His response?
“Chill. Seriously. I’m not your student.”
A little verbal slap in the face, but I think I need it.
lil' kk
Ouch! My toes got stepped on with that post! Yeah, I do it all the time,except I have to say I do it more with my daughter…taking the side of others…trying to get her self reflect rather than just listen! Yikes- Gotta go and take my chill pill!
Ms. H
You’re SUCH a better person than I am! I totally would’ve told him, “Okay. Leave the sunblock there if you want. But when you choose the action you choose the consequences, so don’t come running to me when your face is a crispy critter.”
*grin*
jd2718
Did you say something wrong? Nah. Adults just don’t like to have faults pointed out, even in a helpful, teachery way.
You could tone it down a notch, but, there really isn’t anything wrong. And would it hurt to say something nice first, or be more careful with something that no one wants to lose?
I guess you could yell and growl instead, but that’s not nicer.
(This comes up so often on teacher blogs… why turn it off?)
Jonathan
Stretch
I think there is nothing wrong with your “teacher voice.” I do the same thing and hear about it from my family. I don’t even have a job yet. I’m’ still in the undergraduate program in college but I can see the signs of my teacher voice beginning. I think that it shows how genuinely excited and motivated we are in our profession. It’s important to say nice things about people. I think there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it does get on people’s nerves and I guess that’s where you could tone it down a bit but I just wanted to say that I’m completely the same way. Maybe it’s all of us teachers 🙂
Kels
I think this is funny only because I see myself doing it also. I have a year left in school before I start teaching but I am told that I can do the same thing. When you get all the girls in my education class together you can tell we are going to be teachers. Some are either telling someone what to do and talking to them like they are 5 years old. It is funny to think that you have a regular and a “teacher voice” but it’s so true. You have to have that “teacher voice” when in the classroom and when school ends you cannot just turn it off. I hope mine doesn’t get that bad that people get annoyed by it but I wouldn’t worry about it!
Anonymous
That is so funny! My family always complain that I treat them like eight year olds and i’m not even a teacher yet. I have one more year and I am interning in the fall. But,being in the classroom the last year has made me say comments like these to adults. I will say “are you going to clean that up?” to my roomates and they get pretty annoyed! But, I have tried to stop doing it because I used to hate it when teachers talked to me that way regardless of my age.
Jules
That is so funny! My family always complain that I treat them like eight year olds and i’m not even a teacher yet. I have one more year and I am interning in the fall. But,being in the classroom the last year has made me say comments like these to adults. I will say “are you going to clean that up?” to my roomates and they get pretty annoyed! But, I have tried to stop doing it because I used to hate it when teachers talked to me that way regardless of my age.
July 14, 2008 12:18 PM
Anonymous
One day my boyfriend walked out of the bathroom and I seriously asked him, “Did you remember to wash your hands?” I blame it on several years with kindergarten students.
Anonymous
Me too! It drives me nuts when a family memeber tells me to “Stop talking like a teacher.” My feeling is if they weren’t acting like my 11 year old 5th graders, I wouldn’t have to talk to them like that! Seriously though, it’s not even something I am aware I am doing. I can’t blame them for getting annoyed, I think I would too! Seems you can take the teacher out of the school, but not the school out of the teacher!
Lily
Haha I do the same thing! When my boyfriend visits me, he leaves things all around my apartment and doesn’t put things back in their place. So, I decided that I would put post-it notes all over the things that were out of place that said, “Please put me back in my place!” He came back and just laughed at the notes. He told me that I was acting like a teacher. All I could do was laugh back at him! It was too funny. The thing is that I didn’t mean to treat him like a student. Oh well!
Miss Alli C
HAHA!! Oh my goodness! That post absolutely CRACKED me up… mostly because I see myself doing the same thing! I actually got called out on my ‘teacher voice’ the other weekend by my boyfriend’s dad (I’m very close with his family…so I guess its ok). We were going through a box of all of his old kindergarten papers which were written in true kindergarten fashion… EVERY word made of invented spelling. In my defense, I am working with a student this summer on learning to read so I have become rather efficient in reading these invented spellings. Anyway, he started trying to sound out the invented spelling words and after a few seconds I would chime in with the teacher voice saying the word that the strangely written letters were trying to make! LOL I couldn’t believe I had just done that…but before I was able to laugh at myself his dad was able to get in a good crack and tell me I really needed to take a break from five year olds… oh gosh…the worst part is that I’m not EVEN a teacher yet… haha, good training I guess, almost there! One more year!
Hall Monitor
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
mrsyork
I do the same thing. Often I find myself correcting others on their grammar. My husband hats this. I have even done this to waitresses, it is an impulse. I am getting better at biting my tongue. But after 10 years in first grade it is definitely a habit. I think we all do it sometimes.
BarbJ
Last summer I was scolding my then 5 year old when he turned to me, burst into tears, and wailed “stop using your teacher voice on me!”
Hubs reminds me on a semi-frequent basis that he is not one of my students.
So just a little guilty of taking too far myself I guess!
Nancy Flanagan
Happens to me all the time, but 30 years teaching middle school makes you more than bossy and solicitous –it also makes you suspicious and cynical (laughing). I hit my own personal “teacherish” nadir at Cedar Pointe (“World’s Greatest Coasters”), collaring line jumpers and giving them a brief-but-severe lecture on right and wrong. Much to the dismay of my family.
Jennie
Ha! Just imagine if you taught middle school. Then, you not only speak to people as if they were 12 but also as if they were 12-year-olds-who-are-acting-like-an-idiot.
Goes over real well with siblings, let me tell you.
Although, I firmly maintain that the sarcasm I have perfected in my workplace serves me well in “real” life.
Anonymous
I know that I sometimes use my “teacher voice” and I still have a year left before I start teaching. I know that it will only become a bigger part of me the longer I teach. The “teacher voice” is part of being a teacher. Maybe because I grew up with my mom being a teacher the “teacher voice” really does not bother me. I have had friends laugh at me when I have used it or ask me does that really work with kids. Only teachers can really appreciate the “teacher voice” and anyone who knows a teacher should come to expect the voice to come out sometimes.
Hugh O'Donnell
Hey Mimi, somebody’s got to lead the parade! 🙂
Heidi Pence
I am guilty too. I had been teaching kindergarten for awhile and it is really hard to turn off “teacher mode” when you get home. I poured my husband a glass of something and only filled it half full. In my mind this was fine. He said he was not 5 and could handle a whole glass.Do you think? 😉http://hpence.blogspot.com
Tense Teacher
Can’t tell you how often I’m told, “Don’t try to use that teacher voice on ME!”
Emily
Yes, I hear you there. I once said to my husband, “Now what do you say?” when someone gave him something. Not so good. That’s only one example too, I’m sure.
Hubby informed me tonight that say things like “Yay! Good!” to him all the time. I have to point out that I don’t think I would even say that to my little friends!!
My personal favorite is from a teacher friend of mine though. She was going out to eat with her husband and friends. The host asked how many were in their party, and my friend said, “Four.” and held up 4 fingers for the host to see.
WackyMummy
LOL! That’s just funny. Keep it up!
I saw your link on my friend’s blog: averagemom. Hi. 🙂
Cierra
I already do that so much although I am not even really in the classroom yet. I already tend to lose patience faster with my friends due to having to be extremely patient with the children all day in labs. My friends will say to me all the time, “Do you yell at the kids like this”. I tell them no I am perfect and patient and kind with the kids and therefore have nothing left for you guys. Scary to think of what I will become when I’m actually there all day everyday. I hope that I will evolve and be better.
milf
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