The Importance of Teaching
It is extremely hard to culminate four years of information into a personal statement that best describes myself as a teacher heading out into the world. I have learned so much on nearly every in and out of teaching, from who and what to teach to how and why. I guess the best way to summarize all of this knowledge is perhaps in the form of a few “be” statements.
The first is “Be relevant”. If there is one thing consistently preached, and something that I have also seen firsthand in placements or otherwise, is the fact that students react better to assignments or activities when they can see the direct relationship to their own lives. When they can see the correlation, for example, from themes in Renaissance literature to that of their culture today, they become much more engaged than they would otherwise. This means, as a teacher, not only applying that relevancy, but keeping up with popular culture to find things that students can relate to.
The second is “Be persistent”. This is more in regards to what is taught. It is very important, especially in the grade school levels, that students continually practice reading and writing strategies to get a better feel for them. To simply present information or strategies and not continually use them defeats the purpose. With regards to reading, using numerous samples of a style or genre of text can help students develop their understanding. With regards to writing, students write to learn, so the more they practice, whether it be writing an essay, narrative, or even simply a short journal, the fact that they are writing is helpful in developing their processes and skills. By continually working, the student can only benefit.
The last is “Be open”. I think this is one that can be the most difficult. As people get older, it is inevitable that they become set in their ways. I think it is natural for every person to look for a stable routine in their life, something they can rely on day in and day out. As a teacher, if we want to best benefit our students, this is impossible. We must constantly be thinking on our feet, altering lesson plans on the go, changing units to better fit the next year’s class and culture. Ideas that work perfectly for one class may fall on its face in the next, while ideas that are ineffective may click with another. And this does not simply be open with what we produce, but how we think as well. Despite that we are the facilitators of the class, we certainly do not know it all. Students know surprisingly more than we give them credit for at times, especially when it comes to their own culture. There is a great wealth of knowledge that they already hold before entering the classroom, and giving the opportunity for students to present that knowledge while the teacher adds to it will make the dynamics of the classroom even more worthwhile for them.
Of course, this is not everything, but to put everything I have learned into anything but an epic style novel would be impossible. However, I hope this gives you some insight as to what I find important when thinking of my students and how to teach them. Please feel free to navigate the remainder of the site for any other information you might need.
Erickson Hall
The Place Where We Learn About Learning. I owe so much to the teachers there who have helped me finish four great years and a few more to come. It will be nice to see it again next fall.
