Friday, April 24, 2009

An Inside Look at my Day Job (Reflection on a Workshop from Last Summer)

Rereading Mosaic of Thought and the processing what went on at this workshop has led to my brain teeming with ideas, thoughts, and good intentions. Whether or not I am able to live up to my hopes in terms of these strategies and approaches, I already believe strongly that a positive change has taken place. After all, if a bunch of teachers can get excited about something, there is already a certain level of success.

When I consider possible first moments, I am both excited and nervous. The portent of this shift in pedagogical approaches is huge; there is the potential for a serious approach differential in the education of students, and little is more important than that. I want to make sure that I don’t screw up the possibilities by not introducing these strategies in an effective way. I want to make sure that my students have the necessary level of buy-in. That responsibility is huge, and the onus is on me (and other teachers but, in terms of my class and my students, me) to hook them early and well. I hope to talk with my colleagues about how best to introduce this line of thinking and how to convince my students that they will both learn more and enjoy it better than a strict and traditional classroom.

My grand hopes, of course, are that my students will partake in effective, meaningful learning. This might mean the types of discussions that leave observers no doubt that an enormous amount of learning is transpiring. It could be that students are able to do the comprehension checks that many teachers have turned into an event so dull it is a form of torture on their own. I want my students to love learning. That’s about it. It sounds both simple and Pollyanna-esque when I put it that simply, but it is what it is. I have been teaching for long enough that I am well familiar with both my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. Connecting with students, convincing them to look beyond the clichéd “comprehension questions,” has always been one of my strengths.

So what’s the problem, then? Well, it involves what is probably my greatest shortcoming as an educator. Like most educational theory books, Mosaic of Thought stresses the importance of routine, structure, a standard way of doing things so students know what to expect. That’s not me; it never has been, and I’m not sure how successful I will be at this. I am the teacher that gives out in-depth class discussions like a gift; this happens through spontaneity and my core connection with my students. I fear that altering this technique, which has led to veritable magic in my classroom, will lessen its (and my) effectiveness.

Questions? I've got many. Will adhering to a routine make me dull? Will I sacrifice energy and excitement in an effort to do what the book suggests? How can I teach myself to do both? What adaptations can teachers make to best suit their own teaching styles? How can I keep these strategies from becoming a joke within the student body (following John Collins training, students were making fun of the program constantly, asking for type identification from the lunch ladies)?

The noblest profession. The noblest profession. The noblest profession.

8 comments:

  1. Are you a high school teacher or an elementary school teacher or a junior high teacher? Teaching is the noblest profession for sure! I could never be brave enough to do it, but definitely, some of the greatest people in my life have been teachers. You have the power of changing a kid's life for the better!

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  2. I teach high school English. It is absolutely the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life (outside of motherhood), and a passion second only to writing. Plus, I always have great stories : ) (the kid with the rat in his hood, et cetera)

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  3. KLo: So do I! What grade? I mostly teach 10th, but have a class of 11th this year, too.

    ...and you're right--it leads to some GREAT stories!

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  4. I teach ninth grade, and next year I'll be teaching Journalism (I taught this at my last job, but my current school is very small and didn't have a journalism program ... so I started a school paper that's very cool :-)).

    My personal favorite story is when one of my classes were talking about famous people that they've met, and they asked me if I've met anyone famous. I'd recently seen Harry Wong, the educational theorist, speak and was very impressed, and it took me forever to realize why the kids were in hysterics when I kept saying, "I LOVE Harry Wong! I just LOVE Harry Wong!" I think I'm still blushing from that one : )

    Yeah, never a dull moment : ) I think your Pope-flashing story should make it onto some sort of famous teacher moment list.

    Keep up the great work : )

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  5. Thanks for stopping by my blog! You've got some interesting thoughts posted today!

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  6. Klo, thanks for dropping by and leaving that nice comment. I apprecite a lot. It's always a nice thing to have new people discovering my zany stories about well.... my insane life.

    I hope you become a follower and enjoy all your visits tomy humble blog.

    Huggs
    JB

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  7. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. I envy you in both your role as a teacher and living in NH. I spent two years in Manchester commuting to Boston and going to college at Emerson...definitely miss the East Coast. As for the teaching, I hope to be working on my Masters within the year and then move into a teaching role afterward.

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  8. Jody--Your blog was great :) It's been a great luxury to have April vacation off to get more actively involved in blogging and checking out others' blogs : )

    JB--Zany stories are my lifeblood ... I spend my days with ninth graders : )

    CMC--Good luck with the teaching : ) As you can probably imagine, there is nothing quite like it :) And yeah, I wouldn't live anywhere but here for anything ... it's perfect!

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