When do we loose perspective? I was with my son the other night and I often allow him to search widely (under supervision) through youtube. Since he's only 3, you can imagine the wild tour we usually take. This particular night I was struck by a video that got me to reflect on something I had witnessed while at work. I saw a teacher yelling at a student to get a point across. I know I didn't like this approach when I was that student. So, now I don't do it as an educator. I try to be aware of each perspective that I need to interact with. Watch the video below by clicking on play.
Screaming Eggs
Now that you probably think I'm crazy, try to imagine when you were that student (egg). How did you view school, learning and your teachers. Now reflect on your role as a teacher. Is it important to use our experiences as students to guide how we teach and manage our class? Do you use your experience as a student to guide how you deal with your students? Or do you just cook eggs?
I'd like to think I've always been a "good egg." Meaning, try to do the right thing, be a good person, always thinking of others, etc. I try to enstill those morals with the children I teach and interact with, on a textbook level and beyond. However, when I think back to my own school experiences, it's definitely been a mixed bag.
ReplyDeleteI remember being in 3rd grade, where my teacher was obsessed with rocks and Native Americans, i.e. that's all we learned about all year long! Then I went to 5th grade where my Reading teacher, painted her toe nails (red)on the reading table, balanced her checkbook during class, and screamed at kids at the top of her lungs. And ofcourse, there was my infamous 5th grade Science teacher. He had a class pet....a snake, named Megan! Our entire class was forced to watch him feed his snake a live mouse! Throughout high school and college, things improved although you always had "those teachers" every now and again.
As I reflect on my own teaching, my hope would be that my approach is not a formulaic, universal, one size fits all. From everything we know about differentiation, diversity, technology, etc. I'd like to think none of us "just cook eggs." Times are different from when I was in school, and I believe each of us cater to the needs, interests, and sensitivity that each individual learner brings to the table.
If I can walk away from the classroom, knowing that my kids learn (book smart/life smart), and laugh and smile while doing so....then I can still consider myself "a good egg." =)
"Eggs-cellent" comment, Karyn. ;)
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