Take a moment and think about the best teacher you have ever
had. What made them so awesome?
My favourite teacher was the
Chemistry teacher in had in grades 11 and 12, which is surprising since science
was definitely not my favourite subject. However, the teacher truly made the
class. He kept us entertained with experiments and Firework Fridays where we
got to bring something into class to see if it would explode with a firework in
it. He showed us videos, sang songs, danced, jumped on tables, all so that we
would better understand and engage in a lesson. I knew, and he knew, that I was
not going to continue studying science once I left high schools, but he did
everything he could to ensure that everyone was still valued and engaged in the
class. This teacher tailored the lessons towards students and their needs,
instead of just doing things the traditional way, he went above and beyond to
make the class something we enjoyed. As Drake says, the only way that students
will find information relevant is if it connects to them personally, which can
only happen if the teacher gets to know their students (Drake, 2014).
The first moment I realized how
much he knew about us was one day when I was sitting in class, taking notes
from the textbook. No chemicals were used, but I had broken out in an itchy
rash, something that had happened before (but not to that extreme) and is not
concerning, just uncomfortable. My teacher privately came over to me, and asked
if I was alright and if I wanted to go for a walk and grab a drink. The fact
that he actually could tell that I was physically uncomfortable, despite the
fact that I was desperately trying to hide it in fear of disturbing others or
drawing embarrassing attention, showed how in touch he was with his students.
He knew us so well as individuals that he could tell when we were having an
‘off’ day, which is a skill I can only hope that I develop.
I admired my teacher for this, but the real reason why I
would say he is my favourite teacher is because he TRULY CARED.
In grade 12, I started limping
because I physically could not move my foot, and I was waiting to be assessed
by doctors. I remember walking into class and my teacher instantly looking
concerned, and asking if there was anything I could do and if I should be using
crutches. This made me realize that he really wasn’t just concerned about how
well we could mix chemicals or count the atoms in elements, but he was worried
about everyone as a whole person, not just as a student. After reading some
articles about teachers who care for their students, I found that Garza,
Alejandro, Blythe, and Fite (2014) agreed with the idea of caring for the whole
person, stating that the teachers deemed as caring were the one who knew the
children in their class as dynamic people. Obviously, caring is
multidimensional, not just limited to academics.
(Buechner, n.d.)
The classes I had with this
teacher were amazing, fun, and I still remember some of the material from the
class, despite it being something I find boring and “not my thing”. The teacher
had a major impact on making this class enjoyable. Schwab said that the
learners, the teachers, the subject matter, and the milieu (or educational
environment) all are interconnected and work together to either form a positive
or negative atmosphere (Drake, 2014). This class had the same students and
environment as my other classes, and the subject matter was not something I
would consider exciting, so clearly it was the teacher that knew how to make it
all work.
I found a video on YouTube (watch it here) that I love. It shows people talking about their favourite
teacher, and what qualities their teachers possessed that made them so great. These
answers start with the teacher being personable, accepting, fun…and then moves
on to personal traits such as being caring and loving. I loved how the video
mentions that you cannot fake being caring and loving, because kids pick up on
it. I can honestly say that my favourite teacher genuinely loved and cared for
all his students.
(Rather, n.d.)
To conclude, I would like to
thank my teacher for being such an amazing teacher, person, and role model for
both my personal and professional adventures. In this class, we learned about
how teachers need to teach students how to BE, as people. Learning how to be is
often learned from watching role models, related to Bandura’s theory (Drake,
2014). As a future teacher, I look to my favourite teacher to be my role model
in terms of the teacher I want to be.
References:
Buechner, C. (n.d.). Teaching quotes. Retrieved from www.inspiredbyfamilymag.com
Drake S. M., Reid, J. L., &
Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving
Curriculum and Classroom
Assessment:
Engaging the 21st Centure Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Garza, Alejandro, Blythe, & Fite (2014). Caring for
students: what teachers have to say. Hindawi
Publishing Corportation, 2014,
1-7.
SoulPancake (2013, July 2013). My favorite teacher – man on the street. Retrieved from
Hey!
ReplyDeleteI love this topic! I think it is important to recognize amazing teachers for all of the work that they do, not only in regards to academics but about how they care for their students! Often, teachers get a bad reputation as being strict or solely focused on academics but that is not always true. Your example about your chemistry teacher speaks to the importance of caring teachers! I think that you probably did better academically in that class, because your teacher was so engaged in your personal life, and he tried to make it as interesting as possible! If more teachers were like this, maybe more kids would enjoy school!
I remember my favourite teacher, she was not only my gym teacher but also my teacher supervisor for athletic council which I was president of. She really took the time to get to know me on a more personal level and I believe that made all of the difference in my experience! She knew that we didn't love gym but she did her best to make it more about having fun rather than solely working out or trying to get fit. She is a teacher that I will never forget and I would love to thank her for making such a difference in my high school experience!
I think your point about students only finding the information relevant if they find it important, which only happens if the teacher gets to know their students is so crucial. I think some teachers get too stressed about covering all of the material in time that they don't take the time to focus on getting to know their students. How can they expect students to truly learn and enjoy themselves if they don't take the time to get to know their students? How can we ensure that teachers are learning the importance of connecting with their students?
As a future educator, I will ensure that I get to know my students personally at the beginning of the school year so that I can form a deeper relationship with them. I also will ensure that I keep the material interesting and engaging so that students are excited about learning. This post really made me reflect on how I want to be as a future teacher so thank you!
Your blogs have all been so interesting to read, I love your creativity in regards to topic choice! Also, great job including a variety of images and videos as they really help to make the topic more enjoyable. You have always fulfilled the blog criteria, just don't forget to include 2 hyperlinks!
Do you think teachers who do not connect with their students are doing it because they don't care, or just because they are too busy with other things? How can we change this? Or can we?
Great post! You will be a fantastic teacher!
Such an awesome topic Stephanie!
ReplyDeleteI think we often forget to take a moment to think about and thank the teachers we have that are awesome! Your chemistry teacher sounds like a really great example of what a teacher should be. I think it says a lot about him as a teacher, especially the fact that he was your favourite teacher, even though science was not your favourite subject. I think we spend too much time criticizing the teachers we dislike and forget about all the amazing teachers that impacted us.
Your chemistry teacher sounds like he really cares about his students! I had a similar experience as you with a teacher that noticed I was having an "off" day. My dad had a heart attack and I came to school. I didn't want to say anything but she noticed that I didn't seem myself so she took me out in the hallway and we talked. She was extremely supportive and told me she was there for me. Just like you mentioned with your experience of having your rash noticed by your chemistry teacher, it makes a huge difference when you have a teacher that shows they truly care for you. I think it make all the difference in the classroom when a teacher shows they care for their students. I know for myself personally, I also felt more comfortable in the classroom, and participating when I felt like my teacher truly cared about my well-being. I couldn't agree more with your point about students finding information relevant if they find it important. This happens when the teacher gets to know their students.
I think it is important as a teacher to get to know your students. Having a solid understanding of your students and who they are as people allows you to be able to pick up on "off" days and allows you to offer support to them which I think is extremely important. As you said, I also think it is important to make learning engaging and fun. What do you think are the best ways to implement engaging and fun ways to learn in the class?
Your blogs have been awesome to read this semester. Your topics and posts have all be interesting and relevant to what we are learning in the course. Thank you for getting me to think in new ways and giving me some great ideas to take with me.