The definition of “effective teaching” is unique to each person. These defining qualities are not absolute and they can change with experiences, discussions, observations, etc. When this class started, I had a number of characteristics that I deemed important for becoming and being an effective teacher for my students. However, after spending a fantastic week at Mt. Washington with a number of lovely people from EPHE and VIU forestry, I was able to expand the definition of some of these qualities. After making it an entire WEEK without a computer or Internet, it has been a little difficult trying to remember some of the things we talked about. Turns out no one had brought paper with them and so we were stuck with basically nothing to do work with J…. It shows once again how reliant we can be on technology! It was interesting listening to ideas from people that are not from the program, because I feel that sometimes we tend to think alike since we’ve taken so many classes together over the years and the importance of particular attributes have been instilled in us.
One of the guys there had mentioned something that was very important to him when he was in high school and as a second time through university students – and that is the ability to CHANGE!!!!! He obtained a degree in engineering, but hated going to work when it was dark, sitting in a desk for eight hours, and leaving the office when it was dark. After taking nine months to cycle to Nicaragua from Victoria, he has now entered the Forestry Management Program at VIU, and couldn’t be happier being what is considered a “mature” student. (My last blog entry briefly mentioned the idea of pressuring students onto certain paths. But after talking to someone who is very passionate about this issue, I decided to take a deeper look into what I really think about change.)
We have constantly been asked what we want to “be” when we grow up – starting in kindergarten and continuing now. For example, in my grade twelve year, I said I wanted to become an equine veterinarian. However, after I got into university, I have changed what I want to “be” about 10 times. I’m not sure that everyone jumps around quite that much, but everyone that I have talked to has changed their mind at least once since they got to university. How many students actually end up being exactly what they wanted to be 10 years after the fact?
It has made me question the idea of streaming students in school. When a student is streamed early in their education, it can narrow their possibilities later in life. Instead of being able to switch their path, they have to take make-up classes before they can move to the next stage. Streaming can also be a good thing because it gives students that do not enjoy or excel in academics the opportunity to be prepared in a trade (cuisine, carpentry, etc) before they graduate.
As a teacher, I want to encourage students to explore ideas of their current and future paths. A part of encouraging exploration is trying to find different ways to engage my students in the subject that I am teaching. Whether it is science, or more specifically, biology or physical education, there are a number of ways that I can approach the subject. From past experiences, I know that having a bad year in a certain subject can discourage me from continuing to apply myself in the future. However, having a good year (even if it occurs after that bad year) can maintain, bring back the passion or create a desire to learn the subject for the first time. I want to be able to create challenges that are tailored to each student so that the work is not too easy or too hard. It can help students create goals that are achievable and encourage them to continue applying themselves. That being said, this approach does not work with every student, so I will be looking for other strategies to engage my students.
Throughout our lives, we change constantly. Our personality, values, and perspectives, change as a result our friends, family, employment, experiences, etc. These changes can be minute and add up over time so that the changes aren’t obvious, or they can occur ‘overnight’. I want to be a teacher that leads to positive experiences and changes in my students. The teachers and coaches that I remember the most are the ones that made a difference and have helped me become the person that I am today. This ties back, again, to the previous post, but these points are important for my perspective on teaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment