Do I Have the Full Picture?
As teachers I think it is our responsibility to create a safe learning environment for students. A place where challenging discourse can occur, a space to ask questions, and a place to be curious. As a student I have had few teachers be able to create this dynamic in a classroom. I could list more teachers and classes I have taken where the passion was missing. That is something as an educator I want to impart to my students. A passion for the subject we are studying, and a passion for learning. I know the best teachers I have had encouraged us to ask questions and not be afraid to "look stupid". I think also understanding that everyone learns differently and be able to adapt to different styles to allow that inclusivity is also really special. For example I had a teacher in High School who encouraged me to "work smarter". I had initially though I was going to get in trouble for taking what some teachers would call shortcuts, but he realized that I was grasping the information in a different way. I have always enjoyed that type of encouragement I think for so much of my student career, if you will, I was afraid to get in trouble so the teachers that helped me flourish and challenged me to be better are the ones who had the greatest impact. In the books we chose my group read Ordinary Hazards, in that book there was a teacher that graded Nikki poorly and told her it was because she was a better writer than most. I personally relate to this as I had a teacher in high school do the same thing. Mrs. B told me that I had more potential than how I was currently performing. I remember feeling indignant and spiteful towards her. Though looking back I realized she cared enough to challenge my level of engagement and showed me how to be a better writer. I strive to be a teacher who encompasses all of these qualities. I want to leave an impact on my students, I will not be everyone's favorite teacher, but I hope I can be at least one student's favorite.
Hi Lauren! I love that you want to create a safe environment for students which is something i think we have in common. I like how you took the book you read and connected back to your own life, it shows that teachers are taking in account what they have learned in the past and applying to their own students!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren, I had a similar experience where most of my teachers did not seem to have the passion for teaching. I see this as one of my bigger inspirations to go into the education field. Just how you said, I want to create an environment I was never really given throughout most of my schooling. I did have those select few teachers that guided me into the education field as well. My middle school coach was my biggest supporter and biggest pest. She pushed me in the classroom as well as on the court. She has always been the person I look up to and tell everyone I want to be like when I go into my own classroom. One thing I learned at a professional development for educators was how important building relationships in the classroom is. You will never impact your students' lives if you don’t push them to be the best they can be and provide support for them in everything that they do.
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren, I enjoyed reading your blog posts. I definitely agree with you on wanting to create a safe environment for our students one day. I also want to make an impact in my future students when I become a teacher and that is an important thing for sure. Having the passion for teaching, and making impacts in kids lives is a very important thing to do. Thank you for your blog post!
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