I was thinking that at the start of the year students, teachers, and parents are expecting some sort of growth from each class that they participate in. That since you are in the class for almost a year that you should get a year's worth of growth.
When we talk about good teachers can we visibly demonstrate the growth students had in their class rooms. Can students and parents provide evidence to say this teacher had a greater impact on my child than another teacher?
So think about good teachers you have had, what evidence would you show to demonstrate the impact that they have had on you? Now mind you that this impact does not only have to do with academics, it can be social, emotional, dance, sports etc.
I know that it is against the social norms to respond to blogs but I truly would like to hear your opinion on this.
Hello Mr. Bressler!
ReplyDeleteI do have to say that this idea is quite relevant in my life right now. So, I have thought a bit about this concept. Honestly, the best teachers or professors have challenged me not necessarily in the way of their prospective discipline or sphere they teach from, but rather through their ability to get me to create my own self awareness. To extend that point, I also think that it is quite relevant for professors and teachers to take self-awareness further and help me (or other students) recognize the power they can have through acting on their self-awareness.
I find myself lost in a discipline or subject that doesn't attempt to use applications in teaching information. I love and appreciate teachers that can take a concept and show me an application and then encourage me to comprehend and add to that idea. I am in a course right now that works on interpolating spatial information using geographic information systems (GIS), but the course is more about building situational awareness of complex systems. In the course, I am asked to design and execute on a project that takes a multitude of variables and synthesizes the most information into the most important components by working to create my own awareness of the phenomenon.
I hope this makes sense and/or is helpful to you. If you would like another specific example, let me know.
I've had some phenomenal teachers over the years, but the ones I know helped me grow the most are the ones I think of years after I have taken the class. The teachers who taught me something so important either related to who I am or how I interact with others. The teachers who believed in me by pushing me beyond what I could do are the ones I feel grateful for and will reach out to thank no matter how much time has passed.
ReplyDeleteIf you catch yourself feeling afraid to speak up or unsure about whether your opinion matters in any situation and hear a specific teacher's voice telling you to be confident and believe in the great ideas you have then you know they have touched your mind in a special way. Of course this is just one personal, more emotional way I gauge how much a teacher has helped me grow but it is the emotional ways that stay with you longer and you become more appreciative of these than the technical concepts that simply become stepping stones to acquiring more knowledge.
One of the greatest teachers I ever had was Mrs. Black in the second grade. We read some phenomenal books in her class and she taught me the power of reading and the written word, which really led me to love learning and to develop empathy. We cried as a class reading Bridge to Teribithia and that was only possible because of the community of acceptance she fostered. We started every day singing a song together (Purple People Eater was my personal fave) which fostered not only a love of music and personal expression, but also an ability to let go of personal fear or shame and be silly and yourself.
ReplyDeleteSince then I've had a number of phenomenal teachers that have made different impacts on me but the common thread is that they helped build my confidence as a student and a human being and they cared about me outside of the classroom. I am still in contact with my most impactful teachers because I was able to make a connection with them that went beyond their subject. They were engaged in my life, remembered my brother's name, asked how I was doing and listened for the response, let me spend lunch periods in their room when I didn't want to face the world or needed a space to do work. These were the teachers that made me feel valued and accepted and thereby let me learn and gain confidence as a student and human being.
-Amanda Olsen (it says it's not signing my name so idk ahhh)
Thanks for taking the time to respond. I keep wondering how we can measure what these teachers did to impact your lives. Then think about what the common threads are?
ReplyDelete