Tenth Teaching Reflection

So in class this week we were discussing student motivation and I began to contemplate what that truly entails. How do teachers do it? What do you say? How do you approach it without becoming a tyrant or a task-master that they don't want to cooperate with?

I have found that the key to forming positive relationships with my students and focusing on motivating them is to let them know that I have their best interests in mind. In hindsight, several of my attempts to inspire a student in the right direction could have been construed as mean-spirited or forceful if s/he did not trust that I wanted what was best for them. One way in which I have tried to establish that same kind of trusting relationship with all of my students is to routinely ask them for feedback on how I can better meet their needs. By soliciting their opinions, I can show them that I value their opinions and want to do my best to serve them, and also improve upon my own instruction.

Of course, when asking students for feedback, it is important to also acknowledge their concerns and incorporate some of their suggestions. THIS is what motivation is all about! After asking my students to critique my instruction early in the semester and by asking them to offer some suggestions about what is the best option for them as far as studying for tests, etc I learned that they valued some of my methods more so than others. I took this into consideration and made sure to try and add more of them to my lessons as a way to enhance their learning, and more importantly to show them how I valued their feedback. As a result, I have noticed that my students feel comfortable coming to me with concerns about our class, and I value the open relationship that we have.

Motivation also occurs when I remember that students are people, and that so am I. I make mistakes, but know that I can motivate them and myself by relaxing, "keeping it real", and by doing creating a comfortable environment in which we can all learn. As I have become more secure in my role as a teacher, I have found that, by using appropriate down-time to engage in casual, friendly conversation with my students, I can successfully navigate the line between friend and authority figure. This is a line that I originally thought would be difficult to balance (and I expect that it may change from class to class and year to year), but recent peer observations suggest that I have been able to create a friendly atmosphere that students can both enjoy and benefit from.

AT THE END OF THE DAY (I thought I could drop in this hated, cliche phrase just for grins), when thinking about my classroom, my students, and life in general, I like to think about this Lee J. Colan quote:

"Meaning precedes motivation."

Halloweenie is Muy Bueno!

Ok, getting really excited... everything is falling into place as far as the "activities" I have planned. Katje's birthday will be a success as long as she sheds the flu-like symptoms she's been having by next week.

Here's her birthday pumpkin that I just finished

in case she tries to infect me with H1N1

and the Eliza Doolittle ascot costume that I finished sewing last weekend

I'm especially proud of the hat... made it from scratch!

(hopefully it will remain a surprise before I go home)

SO PUMPED!

Ninth Teaching Reflection

Teachers care. That's why we teach. We care about our students. We care about the future. We care about our communities, our country, and our world. Caring is a prerequisite for teaching that does not appear on anyone's CV and cannot be taught (even in Pedagogy class.)

Compassion is a virtue diminishing in many circles these days. More and more I hear people say: "Why should I care? It doesn't effect me," or "It's not my responsibility," and "That's their problem, not mine." True statements all, but so sad to hear, especially from students. Where do they get that attitude? Oh wait, kids take their cues from adults, right? Teachers are adults............. sometimes. So is this self-centered attitude a normative problem, or something even bigger? Obviously something bigger, much bigger, and it's like a cancer eating away at the very core of our culture. It's taking away from us the things we love, and the the things we love about being people.

So what do I do about this? I try to draw the line between the words that some call it apathy and some call it empathy... but this is my response to the plague of "uncaring." I remember a student in my classroom saying that a project "sucked" (e.g. a very popular adjective among the high school and undergraduate crowd.) That sent me over the edge... and of course (even though I should have toned it down a bit) I went off on a diatribe explaining how easy it is to criticize, especially when the criticizer does nothing to contribute to the culture and community they live in. They are the takers, the destroyers, and their behavior, the exact reification of the "suckiness."

The lines are clearly drawn these days between the givers and the takers. So many apathetic individuals allow for their uncaring to override their learning. They revel in their own self-pity, and will gladly insult you for your arrogance in working to better yourself, your community, and your world. The same world they inhabit, waiting impatiently for the next disappointment, the next let down, the next giver to fall down into the depths of their own personal hell. This cancer is real, and spreading.

Who will fight the innate ickiness of not giving a crap? Teachers.

Some will say that these are the people who are the real super-heros of our age. We are the role models. We are the champions of right. We are the ones who are dug deep in the trenches of the battlefield, fighting daily the attitudes of the wicked status-quo following masses. Not all teachers see themselves this way. That is a problem. If teachers are not fighting the "Battle of Who Could Care Less" then they are contributing to the problem.

In thinking of hopeful opportunities for our students, we can find solace in knowing that our instruction will allow for the greater good to prevail. It's up to the teachers to be positive optimists focused on life's loves and the conveyance of the importance of effective communication. Teachers need to support the efforts of their students to go out and contribute to the success of their community. Teachers need to discourage the apathy (promoting empathy), to snuff out the discontent, and to motivate those entrusted to their realm of influence to become better then they believe they can be. Impossible task? Somedays it feels that way. But if we teachers lose our compassion. If we lose that part of us that truly gives a damn, then what? If our schools are not safe-havens of hope for the future, then the cancer of pessimism and uncaring will truly take over.

So, the teachers must fight this ongoing "battle" in our classrooms on a daily because that is where the difference will be made for our students, our futures, our communities, our country, and our world.

Fine. LOL

"It looks ugly, but it tastes beautiful!"

Had some Coco Wheats for b-fast... with butter... and sugar... in a plastic fish-shaped dish. Holy God, I missed them. Just wondering if anyone ever remembers their mom or dad "fixing" them some before getting on the school bus? Or you possibly bought several boxes of them to get the free t-shirt in college? (I know one curly-headed fuck that did this.)

Eighth Teaching Reflection

Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of this simple fact: teachers make a difference. A huge difference. But how can you tell if your time and energy count for anything? How do you record the results of those long, thankless hours invested in grading papers, designing curriculum, and sometimes "holding hands" with a few students that just don't seem to want to succeed? Many teachers ask this question daily, sometimes hourly: “Is it worth it?” Is the endeavor of teaching anyone worth my time and energy? Certainly the economical gains do not seem to meet the expenditures ;-)

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like choosing teaching is worth the long thankless hours, the endless number of hoops to jump through, and the systemic disrespect for the profession. That’s most clearly reflected in our contracts and stipends. But then, teaching is not about the pay schedule. Teaching is about making a difference and ultimately challenging the status quo in an impactful (however minute) way.

For these reasons, I INSIST on having fun when I'm in the classroom. I enjoy the environment, the activities, and most importantly, the relationships that I began to forge with my students, even as a guest lecturer. Once I received my first assignment the good feeling that I got from teaching grew exponentially. Even today I look at my students as more than just seat-fillers... more than just identification numbers or faceless names on a roll sheet. The students are people who I get to help become better human beings. I love the beginning of the school year because it is the starting point of a wonderful rollercoaster ride the ends even better it starts. I hate the end of the school year because that’s when I have to say goodbye. And regardless of the deppressive, painful emotions I sometimes feel when pondering the tense lifestyle of a higher education instructor, I can now say that I wouldn’t want any other career.

In this vein, I try to think about the most influential people in my life. After my parents and close family members, I can point to a few of the teachers I had growing up that impacted my education the most. Life began for me in the 6th grade when I picked up the trumpet and learned how to cooperate in band. Up until then I had felt like a lost, lonely, idiot with my parents going through a divorce. I wasn’t very good at sports, didn’t feel exactly socially or physically healthy, and hadn’t found my niche. But with the help of a teacher, I not only found my niche, I also began to grow emotionally and gain confidence... confidence that spread beyond the rehearsal room into the rest of my classes and other areas of my life. My favorite and most impactful teacher, Mr. Mark Vanhoose, instructed my musical education and encouraged my individual private lessons beyond the classroom. Soon enough I felt like a veritable phenom and proceeded on in my beginning years as an undergrad studying musical performance.

Even though that seems like ancient history, I can say now that without the influence of a teacher who chose not to dwell on the mental fatigue, the pointless in-service days, or the “great pay,” but instead rested on his belief that what he did actually meant something in the lives of his students, I would not be writing this now. I certainly would not have sought out a field that emphasized the shared experience and effective communication practices that were also supported by early teachings of musicianship. What a disappointment it would have been if I hadn't realized all of these things!

I know that this process, this common understanding of hindsight is what has been the most beneficial in realizing my potential as an educator. I will be able to make a difference (no matter how small) when I look back over my career and consider how many individuals I too have impacted. Ok. That took a lot of energy............

Time to watch some type of drivel!

P.S. The Tigers didn't win

Ok, you all know that I should still be crying right now considering the horrible upset that I've experienced with these last few games. IT IS OVER.

Yes, I'm sad, but at least I still had my faves to enjoy the disappointment with. And of course my old friend beer was also present. Here's the proof that we still had fun even though we were in Suckstown located right next to Loserville:

So now Inge and I will have knee surgery in the off season. This will prove to be an amazing improvement for everyone involved. Awesome. UNTIL NEXT SEASON!

Seventh Teaching Reflection

As I now reflect back on my first university level teaching experience I begin to realize that its not what we teach that is important... it's what the students learn. What I mean is that as teachers we can plan the best lessons, the coolest examples, and the most innovative activities, but in the end, all our manufactured efforts may have no impact at all on our students. I’ve decided that the most important gift we can give, and as teachers, the most vital lesson we can teach, is to share our enthusiasm for learning and our passion for our subject matter without giving the impression of performers. Now, this may chill some of you right to the bone because you may be thinking, “wait a minute, I don’t have any passion for my subject matter. The best enthusiasm I can muster on a daily basis is to actually get to work on time.” Fair enough. But there is more to teaching then designing the world’s greatest lesson plan, or the most thorough and exact to-the-standards assessments.

Teaching is about sharing the joy of learning and the thrill of comprehension. I can't get over the moments when something special happens in my classroom and I see a concept sinking in. Questions become more succinct. Interest is piqued. Heads start to nod... there's even smiling a lot of times. It's awesome! The best part of this process is understanding that my students WILL apply various aspects of the material to their lived experiences. My hope is that they would be encouraged to continue on in the pursuits that make their life a more wonderful experience while augmenting their individual communication practices.

To me, teaching is not about the stuff of the classroom, it’s about the changes that individuals make as they discover who they are and realize what they are capable of accomplishing. In effect, its not about what I try to teach, but about what they learn from me whether I am trying to teach that or not. Over and over I have returning students tell me about what they learned from me in my class that had nothing to do with the curriculum, and that I had no intention of teaching. How do you control that? You can’t. Our students pick up right away on who we are and why we are there. They can spot a phony in a minute and when they do, they tune-out and often drop out. I remind myself of this constantly! I understand that almost everyone who is drawn to teaching does so out of a genuine desire and need to help others. This is a good thing.

Consequently, not all teachers come equipped with the dynamic personality, or the broader understanding of what it takes to really capture the interest of the students, and then hold them there for long periods of time while pouring knowledge into their brains. Looking around my Pedagogy class, I can see that many of the PhD candidates are/were naturals... they no more needed me to teach them how to teach (as ABCD for IPC 1020) then they needed their parents to teach them how to breathe... they just do it... and they do it with ease, grace, and precision. Others have a lot of progress to make though.

Anyway, I believe it is not the subject matter but the person (the teacher) in the classroom that lights up a student’s imagination. Being genuine with students is important. Being honest about who you are and what you care about shows students that they can trust you and that are worth listening to. Once they're hooked, you can present them with any subject matter and conplex theoretical concepts that you might find challenging or beneficial while also integrating snippets of your own life. This anecdotal style is what serves me well.

Storytelling is one of the most basic methods of teaching (and one of the most fun) that I adhere to. As we share our life’s experiences we cannot control exactly what the students learn from us because we have no control over what they take away from what we're saying. However, we can use our experiences to engage our students and control their focus. Once we have their attention, the most important thing we can share with our students is our passion for learning. Once they have that, everything else is easy. True, not all of my students share my enthusiasm for life and learning, not all of them even care to be at college, nor do several think they care about effective communication, yet if I can pique their interest at some point during the semester I usually can shed a glimmer of interest into their otherwise mundane lives (which could lead to their processing and/or ruminating on what I've just taught them.)

Here's a quote that I recall a faculty member sharing with a class I sat in during my Master's work:

"Remember, what you teach your students in your classrooms matters to your students and the world in ways both measurable and immeasurable. Go be the great teachers you are."

That's a good place to end for now... cheersies! Going for a G & T now!

Vagina: It's Not a Clown Car

Oh look, Mrs. Jim Bob (how appropriate) Duggar has her 19th bun in the oven! I bet they'll give up on coming up with cutesy names that start with "J" (all the kids’ names start with "J," in fealty to their patriarch) and just call it "'J’ to the 19th power." That would be totally bril.

Even though this isn't the most recent development, I decided to weigh in on the topic after a few people on FB were kicking around the premise of the show (kudos MB!) The fact that this family is cranking out another baby is usually met by eye-rolling; but somehow in the wake of the virtual implode of the economy, it’s even more spectacle-inducing than usual. I couldn't resist making mention of it here.

First of all, the Duggars like to crow about how they’re not in any debt; but that’s only because their entire lives, including their ginormous family compound, is subsidized by basic cable. If it weren’t for their new TLC show 18 Kids and Counting, the entire clan would be out on the highway wearing “Will Tell You Why You’re Hellbound For Food” signs. It's also beneficial that they have a book deal and they've been performing their own symphony orchestra for years (and of course for profit):



When I think of the resources this family sucks up (not to mention the literal mountains of diapers they produce), I can't help but think that this is their lifestyle more so because Michelle finds the need to indulge whatever mental illness compells her to turn herself into a baby-making robot and Jim Bob can reassure himself that his dick hasn’t stopped working. The only possible solution is to dip Jim Bob’s testicles in liquid nitrogen and then shatter them with a ball peen hammer.

Nevertheless, this "traditional" pro-life-purist lifestyle Quiverfull Movement...

IT MAKEY NO SENSE TA MOI! And if I were one of the boys (and had about an ounce of my own thought) I would ditch that dweeby side-part! I'm just curious if there's a bible verse that should be interpreted as "and though must clothe thyselves as mega-dorks with innocent simpleton haircuts." That would at least provide a bit of rationale. But seriously, this is the question I posted on FB in response to the discussion I mentioned earlier:

In a postmodern society that highly values meaningful relationships with our parents, I wonder how kids in such huge families feel about the closeness to theirs?

Disclaimer: Defendants of the Christian clown car vagina lifestyle who attempt to comment here will have their comments either: a) approved and soundly mocked, or b) unapproved and ignored, depending on my whim. Also, if you know me, you know I hold certain religious beliefs (sans ridiculous, unpractical birthing decisions.) Therefore, I thought I should throw out a couple of sarcastic ideas with the sole purpose of challenging the brain-washers that sometimes call themselves Christian.Throwing around a Psalm here and there (they cite Psalm 127:3 "Children are a heritage of the Lord" on their family website) doesn't necessarily establish nor justify their rights to procreate excessively.

And to leave you with yet another ideological conundrum, I will say this about the Duggard's lived experience: it's almost as ridiculous as the long-term breast-feeders:





WHOA!!

Ailing Gato

My G-ma is sick. I hope the medicine helps her get better soon =(

Sixth Teaching Reflection

I feel that reflection is something that an effective educator does instinctively for themselves. Take this blog for example and the fact the you are reading this blog post. We are going through the reflective process together without having to be taught in a course or by being observed. I see reflection as one of those things that should be "hard-wired" into an effective teacher. If you are not the type of individual who automatically spends time considering the how and why as well as the success or failure of your time with students in your classroom then perhaps teaching is not for you.

Reflection is also a highly individual process as unique as the teacher. Some teachers take notes, some record themselves teaching, others pass out surveys to their students (I’ve done all of these). Others simply pause from time to time, even while teaching, to ask themselves, “Is this working?” If you as a teacher don’t take time to reevaluate, your lesson, your day, your week, your quarter, or your year in the classroom, then you simply will not improve as a teacher.

The teacher is there to teach the students and reflection is necessary to this process, regardless if it is documented or not. If the students are attending class regularly, completing the assignments, and still not passing its probably not the students’ fault. Peer observation is another great way to learn how well you are doing. Try inviting a colleague to come in on a conference hour to observe you in action in your classroom. Then set aside some time to discuss your performance with them over lunch or some other casual meeting. This type of informal reflection can yield the greatest benefits of all as together you flush out what works and what needs to be improved upon in your efforts to educate your students.

I also feel like teachers must teach with confidence. We must not only be sure of our subject matter, but expert in relationships, management, and organization (at least in our classrooms). When we speak to our students we must do so authoritatively, while at the same time, maintaining a level of approachability that allows our pupils to view us as both wise and accessible. In addition, we must be consistent in our message not only adhering to our own classroom rules, but more importantly, embodying that which we teach. A confident teacher builds confident students who are prepared to go out into the world.

There are many excellent examples of confident teachers throughout history and I wanted to highlight one of my favorites:

Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, "What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to! You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!"Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!" The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out. Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. "What's going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!" News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.

As strange as it seems that I've included this passage from Mark 1:21-27, I wanted to remind myself that Jesus was a confident teacher because he knew what he taught to be true and presented it to his followers as truth. Jesus had the benefit of being holy, and even though we'll never come close to his ideal, we as teachers can continue to aspire to such a position. Jesus did not stumble around with his lecture notes, misspell words, or pause to check his facts. He knew what his message was and he delivered it plainly and clearly. And check out that classroom management! How cool would it be if one of us could tell Johnny Obnoxious to sit down in his seat and be quiet and he actually did it the first time without protest??!?! The whole school would be buzzing over that... no after-class meeting required.

Jesus lived what he taught and I could only hope to try to do the same. His message was of salvation and he acted appropriately. Our message, whether it be in the field of Communication, English, Math, History or any other discipline is that our subject matter warrants our students attention and that what we teach them they will actually use in their lifetimes. Of course, that means that we need to actually use what we teach in our daily lives. If we are teaching writing, we need to write; if language, we need to speak the language daily. We must teach our students confidently so that they will be confident of what they learn.

Without being too corny, I know that I will strive for the same kind of focus as good ol' JC when I'm a faculty member. Ok, that is all for tonight.