Some people may ask, "How do you know where to draw the line for limits of being authentic?" I say that there is no line. It depends on who you are engaging with, their reactions towards you and your level of comfort with the situation. More and more teachers are becoming less authentic in today's schools. They try to connect with their students on more of a friendship level, instead of a level of authority and one of knowledge. Students can tell when teachers are not authentic by how they talk and joke. Students already have their friends, or are at least not looking to be friends with someone many years older than themselves. Do not get me wrong that students do still look for guidance from a teacher or professor, but that is because they look up to them and see them at a different level. Also, if a teacher is not interested in their topic, then they are not an authentic teacher. They need to appreciate their own knowledge and have fun with it in order to pass it on to their students.
Students respect an authentic teacher much more than one that is not authentic. "Fake" teachers are ones that students will try to take advantage of. Whether it is just asking to go out in the hall, to the bathroom, or even cheating on a test, they will push the limits of the teacher to see how much they can get away with. A teacher needs to assert themselves as the power in the class and gain the trust of the students in order to be authentic. The previous two blogs on respect and compassion go into being an authentic teacher. Without these qualities, or without the true feelings towards students, the kids will label the teacher as "fake" and push the limits of them.
Being authentic and just being yourself is what the kids expect. They do not expect you to be like them, but they want you to be there for them if they need you. This trust is gained by being no one other than yourself.
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