Now that I have been working with eight-year-olds for a while, my self-concept has been a little inflated. I mean this literally and figuratively.
Reality: I am 5'1" tall (possibly almost 5'2"). I weigh a little over 100 pounds. I am naturally introverted.
Why My Perception Is Skewed: 21 people between 3' 8" and 4'9" follow my every command all day long.
Sometimes I forget that in the real world my presence might not be as overwhelming as I think.
Our new principal is a really tall big guy. He came into my classroom the other day and we talked in the back of the room for a minute. After he left, one of my students said, "You look like an elf next to him."Better to look like an elf, I suppose, than to look like a troll or a gnome or something, but the implication is the same.
I was at lunch with my best friend the other day, and I made the comment that if I was about six inches taller and gained like fifty pounds, then I would be better at what I do. She reminded me that there are lots of things that would make me more intimidating that I shouldn't do. For example, I should not get a large tattoo, change my name to something like Large Marge, or start wearing a lot of Harley Davidson Gear.
My family also seems to believe that I am in constant danger by virtue of the fact that I am single and live with only another small female. They gave me this book called "The Gift of Fear" which is all about believing any fears you have of, well, anything.
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