Week+3

Week 3 - Beginning: The challenge of teaching

The challenge of teaching is a deeply personal journey filled with the extremes of hope colliding with self uncertainty and demands. In the W.Ayers(2001) reading personal teaching experiences were explored to give us the readers invaluable information from a lifetime in the industry we hope to enter next year.

W.Ayers insisted that our everyday lives will overlap with our teaching and it is essential to incorporate the two. Similarly teaching is a career in which you will find your own way; learning is the process of active discovery. As a teacher you will find it is the practical experience of a classroom that is a teacher’s greatest educator. W. Ayers is adamant that teaching is most certainly not for the faint hearted. Perhaps it’s a naive idealistic outlook but for me personally I loved the statement by W.Ayers that said ‘teachers both shape and touch the future’.

I absolutely fundamentally agree with W.Ayers in the thought that in order for lessons to be lasting and meaningful, the discovery must be concrete. This sentiment can be achieved by relating lessons to a student’s personal context, thus making it relevant to them. Nevertheless in both this week’s reading and continually throughout the course we are being taught that there will be those students that you will not be able to reach. Often it is these children that are in need of the help the most. It is imperative as a teacher to build a connection with students and find out who they are and what their passion is. It is this connection that will allow you to see their passion and engage them through their talent or passion and incorporate that in to the lesson. Sometimes when you empower a student you open their eyes to what is possible and that possibility can motivate a student for a lifetime. This week we were asked to examine why we want to teach? Teachers are underpaid, why would you want to join that profession? The simply and honest answer for me and many others is that the reward of knowing that your life makes a difference is enough.

In the tutorial we were given a list of questions to answer about our own school experiences. It is the hope that by self examining our own experiences it may highlight our thoughts on what good education and teaching consists of. A few of my answers are listed below. What are your answer to the same questions? Do they differ from mine?

What were the strengths and weaknesses of your own education? Initially at the school I began my education at was filled with bullying, of which I was a victim of as I would defend the other students. My lunch was stolen everyday by a hungry classmate. I was lost in a composite class and as a result struggled. At year four I moved schools and from that day forth loved every day. I was encouraged and supported by driven and passionate teachers that truly cared. I was surrounded by fellow classmates that were driven to succeed and likeminded. I was given countless opportunities that in large part laid the foundation for the future ahead. My great teachers in large part shaped my character and expectation of myself.

What would you look for in a good teacher?

Consistent Fair Caring Knows which kid’s to push and how far to achieve the best results Passion

How would you recognise good schooling?

A relationship between teachers and students built on mutual respect that creates an effective learning environment. Knowing that the teachers want the best for you, and support you, you are not alone ~ a trust relationship.

What should schools and teachers not be responsible for?

The responsibilities are vast and varied and often the line is blurry. However educating is of fundamental importance a child’s happiness and wellbeing must also be considered.

CASSIDY HEWITT