This is the story of how I ended up with a teaching job in Kazakhstan. Here, I've decided to include a “prequel” because, unlike getting a job in a local public board, the UK, Australia or the like, telling people that I'm going to Kazakhstan usually demands a more rigorous explanation. For one, people either assume I'm going to an extremely remote part of the world, or some sort of war-torn country. I've found that telling this truth generally elicits a visceral reaction that causes family and friends to begin to fear for my safety, and strangers to look at me like I’m crazy. My grandparents have already revealed to me that this fear has caused them to have regular nightmares of me in life-threatening situations across the world. The other explanation for a background story is that I also feel the need to justify, or at least consolidate some of the choices I have made that led me here. This post was not easy for me to write, because it meant confronting some ugly truths about the decisions I’ve made, and the after-math of living out those consequences. But I am writing with the self-assurance that “the truth will set you free,” so please bear with me.
. . . A Fear of Commitment It was three months prior to my expected graduation date I was already panicking about the ominous and uncertain future ahead of me. Scattered about teacher’s college were select students who had already been offered teaching contracts in different countries overseas (and even public school boards for a lucky few!). One by one, as the pool of unemployment began to shrink around me, the reality of Life After School became more and more real. I began to question a lot of things, including the vocation I had chosen. University life had opened me to more possibilities than just traditional teaching. Throughout my time at university, I had the privilege of working within the student housing and academic affairs department. I learned that the skills I possessed as a teacher were also invaluable to positions I held outside that role. What if I had picked the wrong profession? Should I explore other options before settling down? Those were the types of questions lingering in my mind. Maybe I should have been asking myself why I was having those thoughts in the first place. Those last three months before the end of the school year not only exemplified a period of great uncertainty, but also some of the worst decision-making I have ever done in my life. Wanting to keep my options open, I applied to any and all jobs I had the qualifications for, and yet I would find some excuse or other to not take the jobs I had been offered. Not really knowing what I wanted, I deluded myself into thinking that every job I applied for was going to be “the one.” I was desperate and picky; and because I did not take the time to truly understand the rationale behind each one of my actions, I was not able to act with honesty or integrity. I sought explanations outside myself, and rejected offers because my family did not approve, because I would not be able pay off student loans, because it was too far from home, because, because, because… All of my excuses, compounded with a deep inner desire to make my family proud, ended up sabotaging the healthy connections I had created while in university. Burning Bridges To give you an example, there was a summer job opening within the student housing department at my school that would allow me to stay in town a few months longer doing work for the people which I owe much of my gratitude. I interviewed for the position and was offered the job. I, being stupidly short sighted, I only thought about how great it would be able to continue working at the university, and did not factor in any long term goals or plans. When I eventually went to turn down the job – (Okay, dramatic PAUSE here) I mean, who DOES that anyway? Not many new grads are lucky enough to find employment, let alone being able to afford the luxury of turning job offers down – I faced a painful reality check. My interviewers were gracious enough to provide some feedback for the interview upon my request. To foreign ears, this feedback may seem unsolicited or unprofessional, but because these people had been my mentors for the last few years, I took their advice with an open heart. The conversation went something like this, “April, I think you really need to assess your own values and where they stand in relation to your family’s values, and what they want for you. This is not the first time you’ve turned down a position like this, and people will remember you for that. Employers invest a lot of time and energy into the hiring process, and when they make the decision to hire you, and you reject that offer, you are burning bridges in a way.” Those words struck me like massive blows to the head, and the reason I felt them so harshly was because in my heart, I knew them to be true. It is not easy to confront the ugly, selfish, and completely idiotic side of yourself. People always have a tendency to deny its existence. Luckily for me, I had some pretty wise mentors who were not afraid of holding a mirror up to my face and showing me what I had neglected to see. When I think on this memory I am reminded of something a good friend said to me, "People of our generation think that just because we've gone to school and graduated with fancy diplomas, we are entitled to a well-paying job" - it simply isn't true. It was lesson in humility that will stick with me forever. After that episode, I gave up on the job hunt for a while, which eventually led me to a position as a senior math teacher in Kazakhstan. More on that later.
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So I've been reading a lot recently. Nothing new there. The most recent title being How children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough. Tough explains the science and psychology behind the power of character and how it is a more accurate predictor of future success (in academics, health, family relationships...etc.) than IQ or socioeconomic status. This then got me thinking about my own character and how it has informed my thinking and my decisions; my experience in schools and how well my teachers prepared me for the Real World; and lastly, it got me thinking a whole lot about chess. From the young age of 8, I had learned enough to know that I was not gifted, nor did I possess any special talent for the subjects like English, Math, and Science, which are valued by our school curriculum. I only needed one standardized test to figure out that in my teachers' eyes, I was not considered special. I remember feeling overlooked as some of my peers were exclusively "selected" for specialized gifted programs. I now realize how misplaced those feelings were. At the time I was considered an ESL (English as a Second Language) learner (the acronym now more adequately replaced by ELL for 'English Language Learner), which meant that my reading and comprehension levels hindered me from performing at my true ability. Secondly, even if my English skills allowed me to perform at grade level, who is to say the test could accurately predict my academic achievement anyway? Maybe 8-year-old me was not able to comprehend the severity of the tests and the bearing it would have to my future academic success. Or perhaps I was bored and just began filling out bubbles at random because I couldn't read the damn questions anyway. Somehow, I managed to pull myself out from "struggling ESL student" status to "straight A student" by the time middle school rolled around. That was a transformative period in my life for me, because that was when I consciously attained what researcher Carol Dweck refers to as "growth mindset," the belief that intelligence is malleable. I was able to experience firsthand that hard work and dedication could get you the results you wanted, which in my case was good grades. My obsession to prove myself in school, however, led to a complication later down the road - a loss of creativity and independence. The school system is set up in such a way that only certain students are seen as "good" - those who conform to the school rules, listen to adults, follow instructions, and can memorize facts for a test. Not to say that these traits are not valued, but it was not until high school that I encountered teachers who really pushed me to think critically and creativity. To put it bluntly, teachers liked me because I was easy to teach. Oftentimes, I find myself looking for the same traits in my students as a teacher, but those are not the only qualities I wish to value in my future classroom. So, what is this thing about chess anyway? Reading about chess coach Elizabeth Spiegel and her students at IS 318 in Brooklyn was kind of . . . awesome. And inspiring. Not knowing much about the chess culture myself, I found it fascinating the amount of rigor in which Spiegel and her students put into their work, and also the incredible amount of strategy involved in the game itself. I mean, I always knew chess was a game of strategy, but I never really gave it much thought until now. I am probably the worse kind of chess player out there, only thinking about my own moves one step at a time, moving pieces with no real motives or reasons to do so, and seldom stopping to analyze my opponents tactics. Personally, when I play games, I prefer those that require minimal mental effort. Yet, I am also a little envious of Spiegel and her students, and disappointed at my own lack of determination. But what I am determined to do, is apply the same amount of determination and rigor into my own teaching, and I think blogging is a good place for me to start. In his book, Tough poses a question that I often ask myself, Is it better to be a little interested in a lot of things (like I tend to be), or a lot interested in one thing (like Spiegel)? For Spiegel, the answer is obvious. Being deeply dedicated to one pursuit allows full immersion and to understand what it is like to be passionate about something, an "optimal experience" by the words of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Optimal experiences are "those rare moments in human existence when a person feels free of mundane distractions, in control of his fate, totally engaged by the moment (136)." I wonder, how many people can say they have had experiences like that, and better yet, how many are able to set themselves up to have more of those experiences? I am a newly certified teacher. And while I've still got the energy, patience, and starry-eyed optimism, I know that I have to confront the reality that this overly optimistic attitude will not last forever. Over the years, I have met a lot of well-meaning teachers who, despite still wanting the best for their students, have become bitter at their jobs and their students. While I accept that there will be days when I too, will feel like calling it quits, I do not want that to be a forever-feeling. I am aware that as a first year teacher I will be investing a lot of time and energy into my practice; developing lessons, reviewing material, creating assessments... the list goes on. Therefore, I need to find ways to channel my time and energy wisely early on to avoid burnout and to keep myself motivated throughout my first year (and of course the years to come). Never Work Harder Than Your Students by Robyn R. Jackson is an excellent read for both new and experienced teachers that breaks down the seven most essential principles of great teaching into its individual components. The seven principles of great teaching are as follows:
Simple, right? With the exception of maybe the last principle, all of these are straightforward and should come at no surprise. Any teacher will be able to tell you why adhering to these principles is important. But what does it mean to start where your students are? How does one demonstrate this principle in practice? Moreover, how many educators purposefully act out these principles and regularly reflect on them? To become a master teacher, Jackson asserts, is to develop a master teacher's mindset. Many teachers attend workshops, conferences, and events to hear about the latest fads and techniques. They apply them to their classrooms, and can end up with disappointing results. I admit, I am guilty of this myself. The first step is to focus on the why rather than the what or the how. Strategies only work inasmuch as you believe in them, and only if they align with your own principles of teaching. Jackson writes,"... [What] separates master teachers from the rest of us is that master teachers learned how to use the principles effectively, and rigorously apply these principles to their teaching. In fact, these principles have become such an integral part of their teaching that master teachers no longer have to consciously think about them. Applying these principles have become a natural response to students' needs" (5). Below, I list a five of my top take-away points from the book. #1. Understand the currencies you and your students are spending and use them to help your students acquire classroom capital. Knowing your students is not just about learning your students names or playing get-to-know-you games. There are some things you cannot learn about your students just by playing two truths and a lie or getting them to fill out an information sheet. This is not to say that these activities should be stopped, but I think it is important to remember that there is much more to each student than what they choose to present themselves as in class. Remember back in the day when you used to think teachers lived at school and how surprised you were when you ran into one at the grocery store? Well, it's kind of like that. It's easy to slap labels on a student and call them "lazy," "trouble-maker," or "class clown," especially when we rarely get to see them outside the context of our own classrooms. Jackson encourages us to think in terms of "currencies." What currencies do you value in your classroom? For instance, an ideal student to me is one who shows up to class on time, is inquisitive, polite, asks for help when needed, and has good learning skills like initiative, teamwork, self-regulation...etc. But let's be real - most students come to class with their own set of currencies, and those may not be congruous with the ones you choose to accept. A good starting point is to become aware of what currencies you value, and what currencies your students are spending. Then, look for ways to bridge the disconnection either by helping students acquire classroom currency, altering your own, or rewarding students in the currency they value. #2. Unpack curriculum standards BEFORE you start looking for activities and worksheets for a lesson. It wasn't until reading this section of the book that I had realized I had been approaching lesson planning all wrong. In attempts to speed through the process of lesson planning, I spent countless hours after school searching up activities, creating worksheets, and making SmartBoard or PowerPoint presentations that explained a particular concept that was related to the unit I was teaching. Looking back, this was a very scattered and disoriented approach; it was partly driven by the fact that I had limited control over the unit planning as a student teacher, and partly because of my limited knowledge and experience. To put it crudely, my approach to lesson planning was more "How can I best fill up this 70 minute period?" rather than "What is the best way to teach X topic so that my students can meet the curriculum standards?" The best way to begin is to unpack curriculum standards. Read through each curriculum expectation and decide if it is asking for content or process mastery (e.g. "Describe the characteristics of a quadratic function" v. "Find the roots of the function"). There may be other implicit content or process knowledge required to achieve a certain goal. Jackson suggests breaking each of the goals down by mapping out a detailed trajectory to achieving mastery and identifying checkpoints along the way. #3. Your expectations say more about your own sense of efficacy than your students' abilities (84). Wow. Just think about that for a minute. High expectations does not mean making a course more challenging. It is not just about believing in your students' abilities to do well. Jackson's mathematical analogy for what an expectation is is so beautiful I will repeat it here: In mathematics, an expectation is the probability of an occurrence multiplied by the value of that occurrence. In other words, expectation is comprised of your belief that something is true, and how much value you assign to it. Thus, having high expectations for your students means believing that you have the ability to handle it, and that you think it is important to do so (82). (The Stockdale paradox also serves a relevant point here). #4. Show students how to fail. Some may call me perceptive, empathetic, and caring, but at times, these are just euphemisms for "she likes to tip-toe around students' feelings." I don't like watching students struggle, and it's hard for me not to step in and support them. I want to see them through to the end. I want to make sure they "get it." But sometimes, you just have to let them struggle in order for them to see the value in learning from their mistakes. I'm getting better at this the more I teach, but my weakness is definitely helping students who have math anxiety. It stresses me out to think that such a wonderful subject can cause so much panic. To show that you value incorrect contributions, it is important not to shut down incorrect answers because then you just run the risk of playing "guess what the teacher is thinking" (a horrible way to learn I might add). Instead, if a student gives an incorrect answer, you could respond by saying something like, "Thank you! That is a wonderful non-example." #5. Never work harder than your students. This requires that you have a clear understanding of your responsibilities versus what your students' responsibilities are. For instance, our duties are to: 1. Be well-prepared to teach. 2. Determine what will be taught and to what degree; what behaviors you expect students to demonstrate as they are learning; what procedures you and the students will use to learn it; what products students will produce; and at what point the lesson will close. 3. Provide clear instructions and explanations of the material and ensure that students understand the criteria. 4. Clearly communicate, model, and enforce behaviour expectations. 5. Demonstrate enthusiasm for subject matter and for students. 6. Establish structures and supports so students can access the material. 7. Assess student progress, adjust instruction based on the feedback, and share feedback with students. (175-176) It is not our job to solve our students problems. Remember that we cannot control our students, but we can influence them by showing them how to manage their own behaviour. Hope you enjoyed this article. Please leave your questions and comments below. Source Jackson, R.R. (2009). Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD. I love books. I love the smell of them - of new books in particular. Sometimes, if I can't decide two books I really want, I will give them each a good sniff and see which one gives off a nicer aroma.
While I was at Queen's University I worked at the Education Library where I got to sample hundreds of children's books, resource books, guide books, and books about teaching. It wasn't until summer of last year that I really fell in love with nonfiction. In the past, I had always been a fan of fiction (fantasy, historical fiction, action/adventure, sci-fi...etc.) because reading that I could travel to different worlds, meet new people, and have adventures of my own all in the comfort of my cozy little reading nook. I read a quote somewhere that went something like this, "if you don't like reading, then you haven't found the right book," and I think there is much truth to that. After finishing The End of Molasses Classes, I was hooked. At first, my journey into the nonfiction world had began as pure information gathering. I wanted strategies and ideas on how I can improve my own teaching practice. Soon, this knowledge would be amalgamated into my own professional knowledge and teaching philosophy. I eventually experienced a hunger and a thirst for reading nonfiction that I was all too happy to satisfy. The more I read, the more questions I had, which led, of course, to more books. A tip: Always befriend the librarian, because she will have the most up-to-date information about the latest books and will be sure to give you a good recommendation. Some books I read this past year:
You will notice that many of these titles are directly related to the teaching profession, and I highly recommend all of them. Two of them (i.e. Creativity Inc, and Outliers), I read out of pure interest, but found indirect ties to my teaching practice nonetheless. Creativity Inc, for instance, is about Ed Catmull's journey to building an animation empire (Pixar Animation) held up by pillars of creativity, joyous storytelling, and "emotional authenticity." His building an empire, and teachers leading a classroom are more or less analogous, if not the same thing. In teaching, I think it is also beneficial to draw from sources of inspiration outside the realm of education because it broadens your thinking and opens your mind up to more possibilities. Otherwise, you run the risk of stagnating and taking up the "my way or highway" mentality, which I actively try to avoid. Officially an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT), I now have access to the Margaret Wilson Library, which is a library dedicated to all the certified teachers of Ontario. So naturally, the first thing I did after I finally received my membership was order a book! More on this later. PRE-GRADUATION
[The last week of teacher's college] "What a waste of time. I can't wait for this to be over already." [The last day of classes] "Wohoo! I'm free! Time to live my dream and start a blossoming career as an educator and shape the lives and minds of thousands of children for the better!" POST-GRAD PHASE 1: Quarter-Life Crisis "I need to find a job." "Minimum wage? No way." "I'm over-qualified." "I'm under-qualified." "Why won't they hire me?" "AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?" [Panics] [Breaks down] POST-GRAD PHASE 2: Reality Check "It's only been two weeks since classes ended, why am I getting so worked up about this job hunting business? I need to relax a little." [Does nothing] POST-GRAD PHASE 3: Guilt "Oh God. Is that... It is..." "...Student loans." "OH PLEASE GOD I WILL TAKE ANY JOB I CAN GET AS LONG AS I DO NOT HAVE TO SACRIFICE MY DIGNITY!" [Breaks down] POST-GRAD PHASE 4: The Return To The Job Hunt [Applies to any and all jobs available] [Gets interview] "What if they want to hire me?" [Panics] I was reminded of this little gem I found on the internet in a conversation today with one of my good friends about the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (see video link below). She had been feeling a little conflicted about the "10 000 hour rule" - the mantra that states you need to devote 10 000 hours in order to really be good at something. After all, the only thing most of my peers have devoted 10 000 hours to in our lifetime thus far is school. Imagine how that would go in an interview... Interviewer: So tell me about your greatest strength. Me: Ever since I was three I had been enrolled in school. I've invested so much time and energy into this endeavor that I feel I really mastered the skill of passivity in the classroom. I can now successfully memorize isolated facts and information and retain it in my short term memory long enough to regurgitate it on a final exam. So I would definitely say school is my greatest strength. I'm amazing at school. I can see how this rule can be disheartening for those who feel it might be a little too late to begin a new skill. As much as I loved reading Outliers and learning about how cultural and environmental factors really influence success, I think that readers need to be cautious of extending these ideas too far. Despite the environmental hand you may be dealt, success is also dependent on how you decide to interact with these factors. There are some interesting tidbits you can take away from the TED talk on "How to Learn Anything" by Josh Kaufman, which dispels the 10 000 myth (though there is some truth to it, admittedly). Watch on to learn about the learning curve; successful strategies and barriers to skill acquisition; and to see his cool ukulele performance at the end! A question I've considered many years: Why is it that so many of the tasks we perform in our culture - at home, at school, at work, at play - are set up [...] where most of us can succeed only at the price of another's failure. - Alfie Kohn Alfie Kohn is one of my heros in the field of education. He is an American author and lecturer on topics pertaining to human behaviour, parenting, and education. His website contains a series of links to articles he's written, books published, his personal blog, and a series of "online freebies" (e.g. video/audio). In the video below, Kohn speaks to a group of educators about the effects of competition in the classroom (my thoughts here). To put it simply, competition kills creativity; it teaches students a "sink or swim" attitude and that one's success comes only at another's failure. He argues that competition is never the optimal arrangement. In contrast, cooperation and collaboration lends itself to better attitudes and results, both in the classroom and in society as a whole. As an aspiring educator, I couldn't help but also notice the way Kohn engages his audience as well. He skillfully navigates the content of his lecture while drawing his audience into the discussion as well. He starts by surveying the audience to see what their professions are, creating a simple but effective connection. Then, he provides an example of a study having to do with competition that yielded some fascinating result, and prompts the audience to think about why those results may have been produced. He gives the audience a chance to discuss their thoughts with someone near them, and takes some time to talk about other relevant observations he's made on the topic before getting the audience to share their responses. That way, he sets the stage for the depth and type of responses expected of his audience, and they also get some time to refine and further develop their responses before sharing with the larger group. Watching and listening to Mr. Kohn speak is such a privilege. He's funny, insightful, and thought provoking. Definitely worth the watch! Who does standardized testing benefit? Why do we need them? “I teach high school math. I sell a product to a market that doesn't want it but is forced by law to buy it.” — Dan Meyer Rita Pierson reminds us all of the importance of human connection. An entry I wrote for my educational law and policy class:
In my first year I became a tutor in the classroom to make some money on the side and get additional experience in the classroom. I had been working closely with a little boy in the third grade who was diagnosed with Asperger's and had behavioral issues in the classroom. He was short tempered, ill-mannered, and never wanted to stay on task. It was a challenge to engage him in the classroom, and he would almost always require additional supervision or individualized attention (either in the form of an EA, me, or the resource teacher) at school. Oftentimes, he would lash out in anger at the teacher or his peers without warning- he could go from 0 to 100 in an instant, and you could never tell what the next minor thing that would set him off would be. Needless to say, I had doubts in my mind about my future prospects as a teacher. If these were the types of challenges I would face in my classroom (and this was just one child), could I become the teacher that these children needed me to be? It wasn't until one day during lunch that I remembered why I was there. The little boy (George, let's call him) was sitting alone out in the hallway- his head was down and he wasn't eating his lunch. I sat next to him and asked, "George, what seems to be troubling you today?" "My dad doesn't like me," he said. "Oh?" I asked. "He says I'm stupid and sometimes he hits me when I'm wrong." In that instant, my fears and doubts dissolved. I stopped seeing him as some an explosive time bomb sent to make my life miserable but as another fellow human being- with feelings and emotions just like you and I. What he had said had bothered me, so I ended up reported this to the Principal and she stayed with me while I made the call to CAS (Children's Aid Society). It was a nerve-racking call to make, but the Principal was supportive and reassured me that making the call did not always mean the parents will be put under investigation. Oftentimes, they would collect information and no action would be taken until they had enough grounds to persue the case. At the time, I only had very limited information and did not want to be the cause of George being separated from his parents. The lady on the phone asked me whether I saw any visible bruises on George (I didn't) and asked for direct quotations of what George said. The call only took about 10 minutes to make, and it felt like the right thing to do. I do not know what George's life is like today, but it was evident that he was in a school with teachers that cared and loved him. As a teacher, I may never know who the "Georges" in my classroom are, but I can do my best to provide the loving, caring, and supportive environment that my students deserve. Has anyone else had a similar experience? What was it like for you? The 2014-2015 academic year marks my 18th consecutive year of schooling. Over the last two years, I've developed a horrible case of "senoritis," which, according to Wikipedia is "a colloquial term mainly used in the United States and Canada to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school, college, and graduate school careers." (Preach Wikipedia, preach). Three years ago, you would never have caught me skipping classes, using my cell phone in class, or sitting in... you guessed it - the nosebleed section. On one hand, I absolutely cannot wait to be out of school and teaching in my own classroom. On the other hand, it freaks me to think that I will eventually touch the lives and underdeveloped mind of hundreds of children to come, children who will eventually grow up to become the future leaders of their generation.
Ever since popularized videos like Suli Breaks' spoken word poem on"Why I Hate School But Love Education" and Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk on "How Schools Kill Creativity" I've begun to question everything. At first it was a very cynical, and unhealthy type of questioning that gave me fuel to justify the "senoritis" I was feeling. I have been a very successful student all my life, and that's because I've learned to navigate the system. When it comes to skills like memorization, test-writing, and exam-preparation, I am an expert in my field. Eventually, this made me feel inadequate and ill-prepared for life in the Real World. I wondered what life would have been like if I had been exposed to the same kind of education that Logan LaPlante calls "Hackschooling." The more people I met and spoke to about the crisis around schools, the more I realized that the school system I have loved all my life was failing people all over the country. School - which gave me my friends, my hobbies, my love for learning... was starting more and more to resemble the factories they once were. "There are three things you need to remember as a teacher, " Bev Kokerus said in a recent workshop on occasional teaching at the Faculty of Education. "The first is be memorable. The second is to find the positives. If there are none, turn the negatives into a positive. And last is to take care of yourself and your family." I needed to find the positives again. Once I began to do some soul searching, it wasn't that hard. The first question to ask myself was why I am here? I'm here because I want to be. I think back to my first few weeks at Queen's and how it was absolutely enchanting. As I delved deeper into my studies the beautiful scenery faded into the background and I began to take all the little things for granted. I stopped noticing how pretty the trees looked against the bright blue sky every morning, how incredibly serene the sunrise overlooking the lake was, how calming the quiet hum inside Douglas library could be... I wasn't alone in this process. The effects of senioritis were widespread, and as we entered our fifth year of university many of my colleagues and I had stopped noticing our surroundings entirely. Get good grades, get a job, pass that course... no wonder school had begun to look so bleak! Occasionally, I will find myself falling back into that predictable slump I try so hard to avoid. Turn the negatives into a positive. Okay, so I admit I have met some people in my young life who were never meant for school. I also know people who never had the opportunity to have an education - and I know how powerful schooling can be in a person's life. Perhaps, my initial disillusionment and perhaps overly optimistic perception of schools had not been in vain. Yes, senioritis is very real, but I also know that I am lucky to be here. And yes, schooling and the education system as it exists today can still be crappy, but need to reframe my thinking and see this as a challenge rather than permanent flaw. While it is important to stay curious, we also need develop a healthy ways to question the world (that doesn't turn you into a pessimist). School can still be that fun, magical place where learning takes place and I can keep my starry-eyed optimism about the world. It is now my mission as an educator to help students see it that way too.
Education...is painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,... by praise, but above all -- by example I am always extremely grateful when an established teacher decides to open up his or her classroom to student teachers. After all, they have so many reasons not to. Student teachers are often seen as inexperienced and over-excited "noobs" who have come to mess with your classroom zen. Most of us have next to no teaching experience and we tend to make a lot of mistakes. Even as a high school student, I remember feeling peeved at student teachers for intruding on our time and treating us like their guinea pigs (to avoid this, check out my article "Tips and Tricks for Student Teachers"). Some of those teachers were never meant to teach, but others would have gone on to becoming great teaching professionals with the help of their associate (host) teacher. Over the years, however, I have met several talented and truly wonderful teachers who are unwilling to take on student teachers. But it is exactly those teachers -- the ones who know how to lead a classroom -- that student teachers need most! We are not charity cases; established teachers can benefit from having a student teacher in many ways. To start, having a student teacher to mentor can open up opportunities for experienced teacher to reflect on their personal growth as an educator. What makes my style of teaching so distinct? What were common mistakes I made when I first started, and what have I done to address them since then? Experienced teachers have so much knowledge and advice to offer us fledgling teachers that it really would be a shame not to share your expertise with us. Mentoring is also a great way to practice giving good feedback. Perhaps your student teacher is already stellar, but as a great teacher you know that the biggest room in the world is always the room for improvement, so if see the potential for her to do more, then you should encourage her to push beyond the boundaries of her comfort zone. The world needs better teachers, and we should make it our responsibility to be a part of making that happen. In contrast, if your student teacher is an absolute mess, you will be doing a lot of unborn children a huge favor by preventing this individual from entering the workforce as a teacher. It just may be the case that her passions reside elsewhere, and someone needs to tell her that that's okay too. Last but not least, mentoring is a great LEARNING OPPORTUNITY! (Yaaayy!) If you have been out in the workforce for some time, it is likely that your student teachers will have many new and innovative ideas to share about education fresh from the world of academia. Take some time to talk to your student teacher and find out what the current trends are in technology, media, and even pop culture. You might be surprised at how much your students will appreciate your Breaking Bad references in the middle of a boring math lesson. What's more, your student teacher will probably have picked up many little tips and tricks that you could incorporate into your own teaching toolbox! The bottom line is -- don't underestimate what a mentorship experience with a student teacher can bring you. Give those who are willing to learn a chance, and never turn down the opportunity to educate. Special thanks to the teachers who were willing to mentor me over the years (in chronological order): A. Lau* M. Pitter C. Bruce V. Piasecka G. Jung E. McCrady J. Berger A. Shaboz M. Ma C. Roberts I. A. Rahman K. Winter J. Cole *The one who started it all :)
For anyone who works with children, we often are made aware of the burdens they have to bear, but in many instances we will never know. We will never have an awareness of the pain they are feeling and the struggles they have to endure. What we can do, however, is love them and see them as individuals we care about and respect. I often stop to ask myself, "How would I want another teacher to handle this situation if she were dealing with my own child? -- Ron Clark I recently finished reading The End of Molasses Classes by Ron Clark, and in all honesty, I wept like a child. This book not only contains wonderful tips and suggestions for teachers, parents, and schools, but Ron also shares many inspiring stories with readers about his struggles and successes as a teacher. I have to give it to him -- this guy is bold. The enthusiasm and energy he brings to his classroom are way beyond my expectations for the ideal teacher. The best part about reading his book was that even though several of the solutions he proposes may seem otherworldly and unrealistic within the public school system (due to financial costs, or lack of teacher collaboration), the philosophy behind each one of them is one and the same -- love your students and love what you do. Moreover, he offers less extravagant alternatives that allows teachers to obtain the same results. Below, I have paraphrased the top ten tips that resonated most with me. 1. Wait. "...if I have called on a student, it becomes that student's opportunity and that student's moment" (201). I've often noticed during peer presentations or with new teachers, the speaker will usually ask a question, and upon not receiving immediate feedback, they will proceed to answer the question themselves. This is a huge pet peeve of mine because if you are going to take the time to ask your audience a question, you should expect your audience to attempt an answer. Or, how often do we see teachers pick on a student for an answer, and when the student is silent, or answers, "I don't know," the teacher will usually move on to another student? As Ron points out, this promotes the wrong message, because you are essentially giving up on that first student. If a student doesn't have an answer immediately, wait. Don't let other students come to the rescue. Instead, guide the student and do what you can to help him or her achieve the answer, but DO NOT simply give it to them. 2. Use class cheers to help students uplift each other. A simple way to do this is to get students to clap for their peers whenever they accomplish a difficult task like giving a great answer to a question, or achieving above 80% on their last test. Your tone of voice should be enough to signal to students when it is appropriate to clap and when it is not. Not only does this help create a positive classroom atmosphere, it gives students an outlet to release any pent up energy. To up this another notch, teachers can also divide the class into "house teams" and get students to come up with their own house cheers when completing group tasks or assignments. Or, teachers can also teach class chants that help motivate them when encountering a difficult problem. For instance, Ron might say, "This question is hard. Have y'all got this?" And students will respond: Yeah! We're doing fine We're gonna shine Now throw your hands up in the sky! We're gonna keep trying Adding those lines Now throw your hands up in the sky! (206). [To the tune of "Good Life" by Kanye West] 3. Turn a difficult lesson into a song. Whether you're trying to teach students to remember the order of operations, the chronological order of all the prime ministers of Canada, or definitions of difficult words, you can always put it to the tune of a popular song! Students can have fun while learning, and they can even create their own dance moves! 4. Not every child deserves a cookie, but when they do, give them all the praise in the world. Don't reward mediocre work. If a student produces a wonderful display of all the stages of life of a flowering plant, but say forgets to include labels in their diagram as a part of their assignment, that student should not receive a passing grade. I myself struggle with this idea because as a new teacher, garnering points for "like-ability" seem to be very important. But that's a selfish goal; I'm there to push students and help them reach their full potential. I recognize that not every child is going to like me, and maybe I'll get called a "hard-ass" every once in a while. If every child in my classroom likes me 100% of the time than I am probably doing something wrong. 5. Show parents how to help their child study. Both parents and teachers are on the same team, but more often than not they can seem like competing forces. Parents will argue on behalf of their child, teachers will call parents out for being unreasonable, and quickly the child is forgotten. One way to develop a meaningful relationship with parents is to show them how to help their children prepare for an upcoming test. Ron Clark gives the example of giving parents "paper gold"-- practice tests about ten pages long that have questions similar to what will be on the test the following week. He will then give each parent an answer key, "and many of them look as if I just handed them a million dollars," he writes. Under each problem Ron will write out exactly how he got to the solution, so that "it enables the parents to have the power and knowledge to become their child's tutor, even if they aren't good at math or whatever subject that is being tested" (256). 6. Dress professional. This one is important. Look sharp and be professional, because let's face it -- teaching is a professional career! 7. Set the bar high. What about students who are struggling with below grade level work? Personally, I don't have much expertise in the manner, but I agree that setting expectations to meet the standards of your highest performing students rather than catering to the class average achieves two things: 1) The lower-achieving students benefit from working in a motivated and academically challenging environment, 2) You prevent the higher-achieving students from becoming bored and inattentive. 8. Expect more from your colleagues too. Share ideas and challenge your colleagues to be innovative with their lessons. If they come to you with an idea, and you think that they are capable of doing better, you should tell them so! A simple "You can do better" can really push teachers to excel, vamp up the energy and quality of work of the entire staff. 9. Make field trips meaningful. If you're planning on taking your students to the zoo, have them do research on the types of animals they are going to see. Incorporate this into a math lesson by researching the prices of food and snacks there and have them do worksheets dealing with taxes and percentages. By preparing and planning for trips ahead of time, you can help make learning fun! 10. See the potential in every child. "When we raise our children, we need to remind ourselves that they will become what they see in them." (155) I've always loved to draw, and when I was younger, I had dreams about becoming an artist. I didn't care about the money I would make or whether people would like my art, I just knew that it made me happy. "You're going to starve as an artist," I remember my mom telling me. Lo and behold, I am no longer pursuing my childhood dream. Other examples of this type of behavior we see in parents include comments like, "You keep a messy room!" "Your writing skills are so horrible" "You're no good at math." These ideas are subsequently molded into the mindset of children and can quickly become unwanted cases of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Ron offers us a neat solution, "next time your child exhibits a behavior you'd like to see repeated, such as holding a door for you or offering to help bring in the groceries, say to him, 'You always make sure to hold the door for me. I can always count on you for that"' (156). Ron, if you're reading this -- thank you. Works Cited Clark, Ron. The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck --101 Extraordinary Solutions. Toronto: Simon & Schuster. 2011. Book. An inspiring movie for anyone considering the teaching profession. Based on the real life events of Ron Clark, starring Matthew Perry! |
April SooInternational math educator who writes, occasionally. Archives
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