The Lion's Den: Mr. Leo

In case you didn't know, 'Mr. Leo' is my professional name. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, how I found myself a teacher/assistant in the 5th grade. It probably has something to do with my move to Brazil, my desperate need to find work, or my experience in museum/reenactment/historical education. To be honest, I never intended to become a primary school educator, to thrust on the mask of educational authority, to give voice to convention, tradition, and all that America holds dear. For the most part, my high school experience turned me off to a career in primary school. PHS, the acronym for my prison, was a place that I found intellectually stifling. I hated the stratified atmosphere—how being different, or smart, or inclusive was uncool. The high school experience for me was really just a mild irritating distraction, a place I had to trudge through in order to eventually do my own thing. It was only in college that I really plugged in, that I discovered a sense of curiosity about the world, a knack for study, and a legitimate drive to learn more. If you would have told me five years ago that I would be back “in the system”, playing educator to 10 year old kids, I would have laughed.

That said, here I am, day in and day out, playing professor to the munchkin kind. My job at the international school where I work is to essentially help the main teacher in the classroom (think teacher slave). Some days I cut out paper, make copies, draw, or supervise the kids on the field. If I’m lucky, I get a chance to teach a class, lead discussions, and interact on a more cerebral level. I find the menial work beneath me, though tolerable, knowing that it is a means to an end in attaining my Masters degree. If I stay in education, I think I’ll probably end up on a less conventional track—perhaps as an exhibit designer, cultural/heritage tour operator, researcher, writer, or, god willing, professor.

But for know, its play land with the kiddos, and there are some definite perks to the job. I enjoy forming relationships with my students, experiencing life from their perspective where soccer, and friends, and study are the obstacles of the day. It’s gratifying to help other human beings think critically, to reason beyond conventional wisdom, and to build fluency in words and ideas.

Better still is the feedback that one gets as a teacher. Today I received an unexpected (ridiculously funny letter) written by a student. Their assignment was to write about a person they admire. Here is what she wrote:

Mr. Leo Some people change what they want to do many times in their life. When Mr. Leo, my teacher, was my age, he wanted to be a paleontologist, like me. When he was in college, though, he discovered he really wanted to be an archaeologist, also like me. Mr. Leo, even though he isn’t what he hoped to be before, is still happy. He might not have the most interesting job, but he acts like he just absolutely adores teaching fifth grade.

Our teacher looks the same every day. He has furry hair on his almost bald head, even though he is very young. He has piercing blue eyes, elf-like ears, in which he has two round earrings. He has a Shakespeare beard on his pointy chin, broad shoulders and a T-shirt hiding his secret tattoos on his strong arms. His long jeans hide his legs, and blue sandals show his huge toes.

The school did a good job hiring Mr. Leo. Here are all the reasons I got.

1. Mr. Leo can be very serious and mad but he’s mostly all smiles.
2. He takes time to explain things to you and doesn’t get mad or annoyed if you don’t get it at first.
3. He smells like pizza right out of the oven.

Ugggghhhhh. How is that not unbelievably adorable? I love my students.