It's amazing how different an individual is based on context. There we were, a bunch of English loving people, some training to be teachers and others currently employed by public schools. Yet, all of us share that classroom (or at least class) in common. The difference, of course, is that they have finished the program, gotten hired, and now have teaching experience under their belts. And what a difference that makes. If one were to study the basic physical behaviors, let alone the experiential differences, they would see one group nervous, anxious, unsure, and a bit frustrated. The other group is relaxed, confident, content, and thankful. This is just the nature of our situation. I would bet each and every one of those teachers on our panel displayed similar types of psychological imbalances that we are all currently experiencing.
One statement in particular really stood out to me. I don't remember the exact phrase, but it came from Ryan Dolan. He was asked about what in EE has turned out to be wrong. This is the question I was hoping for and, honestly, was too afraid to ask myself for fears of sounding like I don't like or believe in the program (I do). But all of us have certainly experienced dozens of moments where we feel like what we are doing is a waste of time, that we just need to start teaching already, and that practical experience is the only experience that matters. But Ryan did not say the things I wanted him to say. He did not say, "Yeah, at times, what you are learning will not help you in any way in the future." What he did say, however, was even more illuminating and eye-opening. In some shape or form, he said the following: "Its a difference in epistemology. Being a teacher has taught me that I knew nothing when I was a student, and that it is impossible to know anything until you actually become a teacher."
In effect, we, as students, exist in a completely separate realm of knowledge. What we 'know' has its applications on a very general level, but they do not correspond to the classroom we will teach. The classroom that we end up teaching cannot be predicted or reproduced. Furthermore, even that classroom will change day to day, class to class, student to student.
Thus, what I got from Ryan's words were: be humble. We talk about process in EE all the time. Becoming a teacher is a process in itself, and one that will never end. Really, in addition to epistemology, we can throw in some ontology here as well. A teacher never 'is.' Rather, all teachers are constantly 'becoming.' And as all of these teachers displayed, 'becoming' a teacher is nothing to be ashamed of. One has to think of Socrates' famous dictum that true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing. Perhaps the modification here is: dedication toward 'becoming' a great teacher results in a great teacher.
One statement in particular really stood out to me. I don't remember the exact phrase, but it came from Ryan Dolan. He was asked about what in EE has turned out to be wrong. This is the question I was hoping for and, honestly, was too afraid to ask myself for fears of sounding like I don't like or believe in the program (I do). But all of us have certainly experienced dozens of moments where we feel like what we are doing is a waste of time, that we just need to start teaching already, and that practical experience is the only experience that matters. But Ryan did not say the things I wanted him to say. He did not say, "Yeah, at times, what you are learning will not help you in any way in the future." What he did say, however, was even more illuminating and eye-opening. In some shape or form, he said the following: "Its a difference in epistemology. Being a teacher has taught me that I knew nothing when I was a student, and that it is impossible to know anything until you actually become a teacher."
In effect, we, as students, exist in a completely separate realm of knowledge. What we 'know' has its applications on a very general level, but they do not correspond to the classroom we will teach. The classroom that we end up teaching cannot be predicted or reproduced. Furthermore, even that classroom will change day to day, class to class, student to student.
Thus, what I got from Ryan's words were: be humble. We talk about process in EE all the time. Becoming a teacher is a process in itself, and one that will never end. Really, in addition to epistemology, we can throw in some ontology here as well. A teacher never 'is.' Rather, all teachers are constantly 'becoming.' And as all of these teachers displayed, 'becoming' a teacher is nothing to be ashamed of. One has to think of Socrates' famous dictum that true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing. Perhaps the modification here is: dedication toward 'becoming' a great teacher results in a great teacher.
WOW, Michael . . . That last paragraph is amazing and incredibly true :)
ReplyDeleteDitto to what Brenda said. Great work. And I totally agree with that last paragraph :)
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