Upon a review of my previous blogs, I realize how much I seem to be questioning my decision to do this whole teaching thing. The good news is that I seem to come to terms with my decision by the end of each blog…the bad news is that it keeps coming up. So for this week I will try and simply write about what I am learning. Although I find it ironic that the first quarter of classes is heavy reading comprehension...which is by FAR my weakest strength. I notice I am going back after classes to reread the assignments after we discussed their meanings and main ideas. Kind of like reading a book AFTER you see the movie. It is so much easier for me to read when I already know what I am supposed to learn.
The reading this week that caught my attention was about the occupation of a teacher is a “role”. I am reminded of the term role model, which for me was popularized about 15 years ago when sports stars were getting attention for NOT wanting to be role models, but were looked at as such by their many young fans. As a teacher, it would be great if your students wanted to model their daily lives after mine, but that would be very unique for their own adventure through life. The “roles” talked about in the article go much deeper. It discusses the role teachers play in educating students. You are expected to teach a subject democratically while keeping personal opinions out of the lesson. The article even discussed workplace isolation as a teacher comes to grips with the morality of their education curriculum. I have read through this one twice and still don’t have a grasp on what I’m supposed to take from it, more than the generic “it takes time”.
In fact, I think that is the rest of what I will write about this week. I seem to be having trouble digesting all this information about democratic education, lesson planning, middle school learning, the history of education, the money, the administrations, and of course the reality of what is out there. But why? The simple answer is because I have envisioned myself in the classroom for well over 10 years now and none of these topics were ones I would say I put too much time into thinking about. This is normal in a way, as when people think about something enjoyable to them, they usually think about the pleasurable action vs. all the work that goes into it. For example, when I go water skiing, I think of traversing the wake and waving to all my admirers watching from the shore. Then when I get ready to actually go, I notice that I have to hitch up the boat, fill up with gas, wait in line to launch the boat, pay for launching the boat, walking the one mile back from where I parked the trailer, getting the motor started, untangling the skiing line, finding life jackets and that little orange flag, and finally jumping in the cold water and waiting for the driver to get the boat ready…all for about 30 seconds of traversing the wake before my back is too tired to continue.
HAHA, I just read my own example and realize how true it is. I, hopefully like most people in this cohort, have yet to take a really deep look (and appreciation) into the teaching profession. I have always valued what teachers do, but seeing the portfolio of things good teachers deal with and the depth to which they take them I know that it is going to be much harder than I imagined it being. The good news to that is that it will only motivate me more to read these articles a 3rd or 4th time so I can at the very least explain to my own family what I am learning (or maybe my teachers as well).
Ayers discussed building bridges connecting you with your students. Showing them that they “can learn everything from anything” and that I in return will learn a lot about myself each year as I progress into being the best teacher this state has ever seen.
Maybe this week I can get a grip on all this information floating around. Getting organized is priority #1 as I have started to quote articles in class that relate to another class. I want to use the word fun or exciting during one of my blogs. Being ahead of the game will help me move towards that goal. Yes, that sounds FUN and EXCITING.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
My New Career?
After spending a week getting used to my already busy life being filled with three graduate level education courses, I then read an article debating whether teaching is even a career. Well, am I making a career change or just a hobby switch? The article makes the point that a career has upward mobility based on hours and merit. Teaching has no upward movement unless you head into administration…which is not teaching. Also the article made a pretty convincing case that teaching is considered by society as “women’s work”, and therefore disrespected and taken for granted. There were stories of people not wanting to share their occupation due to the humiliation they might receive when around more “professional” people. Points for why teaching is harder than it looks was that you would have to hold it if you had to go to the bathroom, whereas other professions you could just get up and go. I’m not so sure I would have used the same argument.
One story I heard many years back was how to handle a situation if someone says “Teachers are no more than babysitters. So they should be paid the same as babysitters!” Well, I’m alright with that assuming you pay a babysitter something as small as $5/hour…multiplied by 30 kids…for 6 hours a day…times five days a week…for 35 weeks per year and you get…$157,500/year. Sure let’s put that in front of the state legislator and get the ball rolling. I don’t know yet how to handle the situations where people make comments about how anyone could teach…because I do feel anyone can teach. It just takes one heck of a lot of will power, self restraint, and quick on your feet thinking to be an effective teacher. Most people don’t want to work that hard knowing they will not be rewarded for it with money, bonuses, or a better lifestyle. I ask myself this question everyday. Why am I doing this knowing I will not get to live the freedom money provides? Well, lets see if I can put this into words.
Positives:
1) Emotionally I will walk away from each school day knowing I have make an impact on somebody. This will offer me a sense of belonging and allow for the rest of my life to be content, not stressful.
2) Time freedom. Traveling and movie making is a hobby of mine that I do plan to turn into a revenue source as time moves along. Having weeks at a time throughout the year to take trips and put movies together greatly interests me. Plus, I know I will be able to use this skill in the classroom as well as it will allow the kids to use their imagination to come up with short movies of their own.
3) I am a male. This allows me to push the agenda that teaching is not just women’s work. I might not be as nurturing, but I will provide support, attention, and energy for the kids to pull from.
4) My background in customer service (I believe) will help immensely when it comes to dealing with parents, and administrators. “In can understand how you feel this way about our school. Here are a couple options we have to move forward from this and you can tell me what you feel most comfortable with. Is that OK?” I know some parents will act like their own kids sometimes, as this is where the kids pick up their antics from anyway.
Negatives:
1) MONEY. I say I am content with the choice to earn an emotional paycheck. But time will tell. I have yet to face the prospects of looking for a job that will pay less than half of what I walked away from two years ago. I have yet to face the prospect of not getting a job out of the gates and having to pay for loans, children, and normal daily expenses. It will be hard and I know it. I will state that I haven’t the faintest idea how we will make it if worst case happens…but I have hope it will all work out.
2) I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth a couple seconds too late. My biggest fear is that I am going to do or say something that someone will find offensive and I won’t have a clue what I said. I will get fired for it, my name will show up in all the newspapers and I will go back to the career I left with my head down in shame…but still not sure what I did. I think everyone has this fear when they start teaching…at least I hope they do.
3) The thought I might not be respected for the occupation I have chosen. Actually this is more of a positive as maturity tells you that attitude is not one you want to surround yourself with. A lesson that is very much teachable to kids who are beginning adolescence.
4) The thought that I might not want to teach after a couple years in the “system”. I am a strong person but if after three years in the classroom my financial life is a mess, I might ponder if it is all worth it. Luckily I have control over this. I just have to keep it as one of my priorities.
I’m sure there is more but at this point I still feel content with my decision. It seems the teacher gains respect individually by the work they do and find a way to either live within the financial constraint afforded by the district, or find a method of revenue that allows for experience beyond the classroom…individual growth.
I do have a beef with the women’s work idea. Looking back on it, some of the best teachers I had were men. This could just be because I was a boy, but I think it is good to have more men in the classroom to offer the boys more of a chance to relate…by simply having a male as a teacher.
One story I heard many years back was how to handle a situation if someone says “Teachers are no more than babysitters. So they should be paid the same as babysitters!” Well, I’m alright with that assuming you pay a babysitter something as small as $5/hour…multiplied by 30 kids…for 6 hours a day…times five days a week…for 35 weeks per year and you get…$157,500/year. Sure let’s put that in front of the state legislator and get the ball rolling. I don’t know yet how to handle the situations where people make comments about how anyone could teach…because I do feel anyone can teach. It just takes one heck of a lot of will power, self restraint, and quick on your feet thinking to be an effective teacher. Most people don’t want to work that hard knowing they will not be rewarded for it with money, bonuses, or a better lifestyle. I ask myself this question everyday. Why am I doing this knowing I will not get to live the freedom money provides? Well, lets see if I can put this into words.
Positives:
1) Emotionally I will walk away from each school day knowing I have make an impact on somebody. This will offer me a sense of belonging and allow for the rest of my life to be content, not stressful.
2) Time freedom. Traveling and movie making is a hobby of mine that I do plan to turn into a revenue source as time moves along. Having weeks at a time throughout the year to take trips and put movies together greatly interests me. Plus, I know I will be able to use this skill in the classroom as well as it will allow the kids to use their imagination to come up with short movies of their own.
3) I am a male. This allows me to push the agenda that teaching is not just women’s work. I might not be as nurturing, but I will provide support, attention, and energy for the kids to pull from.
4) My background in customer service (I believe) will help immensely when it comes to dealing with parents, and administrators. “In can understand how you feel this way about our school. Here are a couple options we have to move forward from this and you can tell me what you feel most comfortable with. Is that OK?” I know some parents will act like their own kids sometimes, as this is where the kids pick up their antics from anyway.
Negatives:
1) MONEY. I say I am content with the choice to earn an emotional paycheck. But time will tell. I have yet to face the prospects of looking for a job that will pay less than half of what I walked away from two years ago. I have yet to face the prospect of not getting a job out of the gates and having to pay for loans, children, and normal daily expenses. It will be hard and I know it. I will state that I haven’t the faintest idea how we will make it if worst case happens…but I have hope it will all work out.
2) I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth a couple seconds too late. My biggest fear is that I am going to do or say something that someone will find offensive and I won’t have a clue what I said. I will get fired for it, my name will show up in all the newspapers and I will go back to the career I left with my head down in shame…but still not sure what I did. I think everyone has this fear when they start teaching…at least I hope they do.
3) The thought I might not be respected for the occupation I have chosen. Actually this is more of a positive as maturity tells you that attitude is not one you want to surround yourself with. A lesson that is very much teachable to kids who are beginning adolescence.
4) The thought that I might not want to teach after a couple years in the “system”. I am a strong person but if after three years in the classroom my financial life is a mess, I might ponder if it is all worth it. Luckily I have control over this. I just have to keep it as one of my priorities.
I’m sure there is more but at this point I still feel content with my decision. It seems the teacher gains respect individually by the work they do and find a way to either live within the financial constraint afforded by the district, or find a method of revenue that allows for experience beyond the classroom…individual growth.
I do have a beef with the women’s work idea. Looking back on it, some of the best teachers I had were men. This could just be because I was a boy, but I think it is good to have more men in the classroom to offer the boys more of a chance to relate…by simply having a male as a teacher.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Finger Vomit
A title meant simply to mean, my fingers will be dumping lots of thoughts onto this blog. Some will make sense and some will simply be thoughts that have no meaning...all in a soup that if it were an animate object would resemble, well, what the title says.
Thought #1: Making an impact while learning how to make an impact. I volunteer twice a week with a student who is WAY behind his second grade class in reading. It was clear from the beginning of the year that this kid simply didn’t want to read. Turns out it was psychological, he really didn’t want anyone to know he couldn’t so he was putting all his energy into masking this shortcoming. It took about four months to get through this with him but we make the stride and for 120 minutes a week we would sit in the common area of their classroom and he would struggle, but most importantly, try to read. About early March the principle stopped by to see how it was going and quickly pointed out some mistakes he had made while reading aloud. It was like you could take the calendar and move it back to September. He freaked out, truly believing the principal was going to tell his teacher, who was going to tell the students, who were going to tell their friends, etc. To me it was a principal who knew the test dates were coming up and wanted to gain an idea of the boy was progressing…and when simple mistakes were made she wanted them correctly immediately. It has turned into my first example of teaching vs. district bureaucracy. I understand both sides, but it is tough to deal with. My connection with this student is more a “someone you can trust relationship” than reading teacher. He knows how to read but doesn’t feel comfortable with how people will react if he gets stuck not knowing a work or punctuation mark. It seems to clear how he is going to move forward and catch up to the other kids, and Ayers hit it right on the nose with the idea that “kids learn at their own pace”. Give him a chance and he will learn it.
Thought #2: In one of my classes, we have been asked to put a small slide show together with images that parley our feelings about teaching without words. I found this enjoyable as it was the first time I really tried to put my emotional draw to this profession into 5 words. I scribbled down a bunch of words but the first five stuck as the ones I was going to use. Teamwork, sportsmanship, positive energy, something I can’t remember right now, and goals goals goals. I already know that using multimedia is going to be one of my teaching methods in the classroom. In particular making little mini movies, but also slide shows of events the students either experience themselves personally or see on the news each day. It will be a way of creating a memory and “thinking” about what that memory means to you. In other words, I want my students to learn from your daily life experience. Coupled to this assignment was to ask us to put down an autobiography of our life from an educational perspective. These assignments are helping me, at least, hone in on the precise reasons we are embarking on this journey. We feel it is right, but now we are tapping these emotions as to why. For me, I’ve been surprised that a big pull in my life is to relive my childhood. There are so many things I would do differently (stand up for myself, ask more questions, not profess my love for a 3rd grade girl, and most importantly, relax more). I want to impart the knowledge I’ve gained in 33 years of live to people that could use some guidance. The biggest push I have is for students to see the world, either through the lens of someone else’s camera, through the reading of a book, or with their own eyes. But understand what it out there, why it is out there, and enjoy it.
Thought #3: (From another class, but something I want to journal about). We studied social groups in my class this evening (Nerds, trendies, punks, etc). I was amazed at how much this topic affected lots of people in the class. It seems every thought dealt with a personal trauma experienced by one of my classmates. It is clear this issue of social hierarchy has been around for awhile and is still very much a part of schooling. More than that, it is a part of schooling that seems to get in the way of the core reason students are there to begin with. Everyone gets embarrassed, but we all react differently to it. We all feel emotions when people get teased, but we respond differently to it. This subject will be big for me specifically if I teach in a 5th or 6th grade classroom because seeing the reactions of my fully adult classmates tonight, the effects of this type of treatment (bullying if you will) can carry will into adulthood. I want to know how to keep it at a minimum and cultivate a school where people have an outlet to shed the negative feelings to someone they can trust.
Thought #4: I am amazed how much reading I have busted through in 3 weeks, easily over 1000 pages of education theory and ideas. I have to assume I remember about 30 of these pages but we’ll see as the quarter progresses how I use some of this knowledge. The first one that comes to mind is when the principal of the school comes to me during my first year and says “Don’t expect too much from these students”, I’m ready to say “Don’t worry Ms. Principal, these kids will want to come back next year. In fact, they’ll insist on it.”
Thought #1: Making an impact while learning how to make an impact. I volunteer twice a week with a student who is WAY behind his second grade class in reading. It was clear from the beginning of the year that this kid simply didn’t want to read. Turns out it was psychological, he really didn’t want anyone to know he couldn’t so he was putting all his energy into masking this shortcoming. It took about four months to get through this with him but we make the stride and for 120 minutes a week we would sit in the common area of their classroom and he would struggle, but most importantly, try to read. About early March the principle stopped by to see how it was going and quickly pointed out some mistakes he had made while reading aloud. It was like you could take the calendar and move it back to September. He freaked out, truly believing the principal was going to tell his teacher, who was going to tell the students, who were going to tell their friends, etc. To me it was a principal who knew the test dates were coming up and wanted to gain an idea of the boy was progressing…and when simple mistakes were made she wanted them correctly immediately. It has turned into my first example of teaching vs. district bureaucracy. I understand both sides, but it is tough to deal with. My connection with this student is more a “someone you can trust relationship” than reading teacher. He knows how to read but doesn’t feel comfortable with how people will react if he gets stuck not knowing a work or punctuation mark. It seems to clear how he is going to move forward and catch up to the other kids, and Ayers hit it right on the nose with the idea that “kids learn at their own pace”. Give him a chance and he will learn it.
Thought #2: In one of my classes, we have been asked to put a small slide show together with images that parley our feelings about teaching without words. I found this enjoyable as it was the first time I really tried to put my emotional draw to this profession into 5 words. I scribbled down a bunch of words but the first five stuck as the ones I was going to use. Teamwork, sportsmanship, positive energy, something I can’t remember right now, and goals goals goals. I already know that using multimedia is going to be one of my teaching methods in the classroom. In particular making little mini movies, but also slide shows of events the students either experience themselves personally or see on the news each day. It will be a way of creating a memory and “thinking” about what that memory means to you. In other words, I want my students to learn from your daily life experience. Coupled to this assignment was to ask us to put down an autobiography of our life from an educational perspective. These assignments are helping me, at least, hone in on the precise reasons we are embarking on this journey. We feel it is right, but now we are tapping these emotions as to why. For me, I’ve been surprised that a big pull in my life is to relive my childhood. There are so many things I would do differently (stand up for myself, ask more questions, not profess my love for a 3rd grade girl, and most importantly, relax more). I want to impart the knowledge I’ve gained in 33 years of live to people that could use some guidance. The biggest push I have is for students to see the world, either through the lens of someone else’s camera, through the reading of a book, or with their own eyes. But understand what it out there, why it is out there, and enjoy it.
Thought #3: (From another class, but something I want to journal about). We studied social groups in my class this evening (Nerds, trendies, punks, etc). I was amazed at how much this topic affected lots of people in the class. It seems every thought dealt with a personal trauma experienced by one of my classmates. It is clear this issue of social hierarchy has been around for awhile and is still very much a part of schooling. More than that, it is a part of schooling that seems to get in the way of the core reason students are there to begin with. Everyone gets embarrassed, but we all react differently to it. We all feel emotions when people get teased, but we respond differently to it. This subject will be big for me specifically if I teach in a 5th or 6th grade classroom because seeing the reactions of my fully adult classmates tonight, the effects of this type of treatment (bullying if you will) can carry will into adulthood. I want to know how to keep it at a minimum and cultivate a school where people have an outlet to shed the negative feelings to someone they can trust.
Thought #4: I am amazed how much reading I have busted through in 3 weeks, easily over 1000 pages of education theory and ideas. I have to assume I remember about 30 of these pages but we’ll see as the quarter progresses how I use some of this knowledge. The first one that comes to mind is when the principal of the school comes to me during my first year and says “Don’t expect too much from these students”, I’m ready to say “Don’t worry Ms. Principal, these kids will want to come back next year. In fact, they’ll insist on it.”
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Original Conflict
My usual routine on Wednesday mornings is to spend three hours helping out at my daughter's preschool and then taking her to the library where we read exactly one more book than the week prior. She was to be on 12 books today so I wasn't so excited about how long this might take knowing how I felt about where I stood with my school work (see previous post). I offered her an option to read with me this afternoon, and low and behold she wanted to help me review chapter one of To Teach (the book by William Ayers..you know the terrorist?) It was great for comprehension because she would ask so many off the wall questions such as "Why was (Maxine Greene) named after a color?" Bottom line, I was inspired that my 3 year old was helping me do my homework. Oddly enough I think she got more out of it then me.
What I did notice during the second reading of the chapter is that he seemed to set the stage for a battle of teachers who fight the bureaucracy vs. teachers who follow the path laid out for them. On one side you have a teacher who pushes for original thoughts and ideas from their students and on the other a teacher who pushes for their kids to know their place in the world. Ayer's stage has an obvious protagonist and antagonist (good guy vs bad guy). Before I go too deep into this I should let the reader know that my personality is one that avoids conflict, so much of my philosophy is based on going with the norm to keep everyone happy. Luckily for me this is part of my core reason for becoming a teacher...I want to break this tendency and gain experience going against the norm and follow what makes sense and feels comfortable (bureaucracy does not feel comfortable). Ayer's makes it clear that teaching kids how to question ideas is the key to the power of knowledge, but to what extent does that impede the learning of basic subjects such as math and reading? I have guesses, but this line of questioning will drive me through the next couple days of schooling as I hopefully will begin to see some answers...and then build on this to create a new philosophy that will be my teaching model.
Man, I think I'm getting a handle on this school thing once again. As George Castanza would say, "I'm Busting Jerry, I'm Busting!!"
What I did notice during the second reading of the chapter is that he seemed to set the stage for a battle of teachers who fight the bureaucracy vs. teachers who follow the path laid out for them. On one side you have a teacher who pushes for original thoughts and ideas from their students and on the other a teacher who pushes for their kids to know their place in the world. Ayer's stage has an obvious protagonist and antagonist (good guy vs bad guy). Before I go too deep into this I should let the reader know that my personality is one that avoids conflict, so much of my philosophy is based on going with the norm to keep everyone happy. Luckily for me this is part of my core reason for becoming a teacher...I want to break this tendency and gain experience going against the norm and follow what makes sense and feels comfortable (bureaucracy does not feel comfortable). Ayer's makes it clear that teaching kids how to question ideas is the key to the power of knowledge, but to what extent does that impede the learning of basic subjects such as math and reading? I have guesses, but this line of questioning will drive me through the next couple days of schooling as I hopefully will begin to see some answers...and then build on this to create a new philosophy that will be my teaching model.
Man, I think I'm getting a handle on this school thing once again. As George Castanza would say, "I'm Busting Jerry, I'm Busting!!"
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Road Block?
Two Thirds the way through my second week of classes and I seem to have hit the "I got myself into what?" wall. I knew there was going to be a lot to learn about the art of teaching but I wasn't prepared to jump into the deep end. Using Ayer's book I know this would be an example where I pull past experience to help calm the current situation. Past experience says to sit down, pick one class and confirm I understand the assignments for the week...then outline each one to gain traction on how I will attack it and them break it into small manageable parts. So here I sit in the library realizing I might have just questioned the journey I began last week...and I told that question to come back later (because I know it will). The reality is I am changing to a new normal for my daily life and this week will be pretty hard as I begin to take on the full load of school, raising a 4 year old daughter, and dealing with all the other things life throws at you. Little steps Mr. Nash, little steps.
I do want start writing about my conflicted thoughts about standardized tests. The topic is a hot one and has been brought up in all three of my classes, with none of them offering a clear answer. In To Teach, Ayers makes the point that kids learn at different paces (and makes a pretty good case for it). If you test a group of people for their knowledge of 4th grade math, who's to say Jon X wouldn't have picked it up in 5th grade, or that Peggy Q figured it out in 2nd grade? I have differing opinions on whether you teach certain subjects based on the kids comfort level, but that can be avoided mostly by preparing your classroom to be ready to intake the info. An article from another class gave a great history about the SAT and that it's sole purpose to to help predict the GPA's of students during their college career. This was done in 1941, when it was mostly upper middle class white people even going to college. Plus, it measures Math and Reading. No Science, arts, or History. Is the presumption that if you are successful in math and reading that you can master all other subjects with ease? I'm sure we'll get even deeper into this topic as the year progresses. Status bar wise, I am right in the middle now with a 50/50 split for and against standardized testing.
I do want start writing about my conflicted thoughts about standardized tests. The topic is a hot one and has been brought up in all three of my classes, with none of them offering a clear answer. In To Teach, Ayers makes the point that kids learn at different paces (and makes a pretty good case for it). If you test a group of people for their knowledge of 4th grade math, who's to say Jon X wouldn't have picked it up in 5th grade, or that Peggy Q figured it out in 2nd grade? I have differing opinions on whether you teach certain subjects based on the kids comfort level, but that can be avoided mostly by preparing your classroom to be ready to intake the info. An article from another class gave a great history about the SAT and that it's sole purpose to to help predict the GPA's of students during their college career. This was done in 1941, when it was mostly upper middle class white people even going to college. Plus, it measures Math and Reading. No Science, arts, or History. Is the presumption that if you are successful in math and reading that you can master all other subjects with ease? I'm sure we'll get even deeper into this topic as the year progresses. Status bar wise, I am right in the middle now with a 50/50 split for and against standardized testing.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Quiet Time
Laptop..check. Action plan..check. Glass of red wine..check. Courage to spend the next two hours of my Friday night focusing on homework...we'll see. My wife has kindly agreed to take my daughter out of the house for a bit to allow me the happiness that is quiet and motion free nothingness. Oh did you hear that? Me neither. Total bliss.
So my attention turns to the nearly 800 pages of reading that has been assigned to my class for this week. Most of the reading concerns ideas behind the foundations and history of schools. Why is the classroom arena dominated by woman and the administration arena dominated by men? Is the assembly line method of teaching really working? Why isn't Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure part of the history curriculum? You know, the basics.
One book that did stand out is one titled "To Teach: The Journey of Becoming a Teacher" written by William Ayers. Excuse you? Yes, that William Ayers. Turns out if you accidentally start a domestic terrorism group in your young years you can make up for it by becoming one of the best educators of your day. I didn't know much about Ayers until I began reading this book, and man can he communicate an idea. I was struck with the realism of his writing. He gives examples of teachers going to orientation for their first job out of school and being informed by the principal not to expect too much from the kids, but to simply try and make it through without making anyone mad. Good to know Mr. Ayers. Thanks for the good mojo. He made it clear that the one thing that will make you a success is the drive to change the world. It is up to the individual teacher to decide what that means to them, but in the end you need to truly believe you can make this world a better place by imparting your experience and knowledge on the youth in the classroom, and the jaded administration behind the scenes.
I want to read more of the book but we were required to read only chapter one. I do want to change the world, but only one chapter at a time, as I have 740 more pages to read by Monday.
Cheers
So my attention turns to the nearly 800 pages of reading that has been assigned to my class for this week. Most of the reading concerns ideas behind the foundations and history of schools. Why is the classroom arena dominated by woman and the administration arena dominated by men? Is the assembly line method of teaching really working? Why isn't Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure part of the history curriculum? You know, the basics.
One book that did stand out is one titled "To Teach: The Journey of Becoming a Teacher" written by William Ayers. Excuse you? Yes, that William Ayers. Turns out if you accidentally start a domestic terrorism group in your young years you can make up for it by becoming one of the best educators of your day. I didn't know much about Ayers until I began reading this book, and man can he communicate an idea. I was struck with the realism of his writing. He gives examples of teachers going to orientation for their first job out of school and being informed by the principal not to expect too much from the kids, but to simply try and make it through without making anyone mad. Good to know Mr. Ayers. Thanks for the good mojo. He made it clear that the one thing that will make you a success is the drive to change the world. It is up to the individual teacher to decide what that means to them, but in the end you need to truly believe you can make this world a better place by imparting your experience and knowledge on the youth in the classroom, and the jaded administration behind the scenes.
I want to read more of the book but we were required to read only chapter one. I do want to change the world, but only one chapter at a time, as I have 740 more pages to read by Monday.
Cheers
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The New Beginning
Welcome to my blog. My intentions with what will be written in front of your eyes are to provide insight to any person whose heart wishes to be in a better place but doesn't know what that better place is, or even how to look for it. I'll start this blog by making it clear that I am only at the beginning of my journey to a better place. This blog will help me remember the weekly path I am currently walking down in order to better understand how I found the place in this world I feel I belong. In the end, that is the ultimate goal of this blog, and I am 100% committed to finding my place on this journey.
Who am I? Good Question. The basic facts it would behoove a reader to be educated upon are the following:
- I am a male in my early 30's
- I live in Kirkland, WA. About 10 minutes east of Seattle.
- I have been married for 10 years and have an "almost 4" year old daughter.
- I am beginning a one year program at a local university to obtain my Elementary School Teaching Certificate.
What's my story?
The back story that brings us to the beginning of this journey is simple. In 1999 I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Economics...and not a clue what I wanted to do with it. I dabbled in financial planning for 3 years, non-profit fundraising for 1, and customer service management for 6. I wouldn't trade any of the experiences I had or the friends I made as they all added up to a feeling that I had more to offer someone, somewhere. By the summer of 2008 I had decided I needed more fulfillment with my career. I had my personal life. I had my spiritual life. But I wanted more out of my career. By the fall, I had figured out the one piece of fabric that tied all my years as a professional together...teaching. Educating clients on how to plan financially, showing everyday people what their volunteer time and dollars can do for a community, and convincing customer service reps of how they make such a difference to so many people is where I truly excelled at my jobs. I thought about who would gain the most from my enthusiasm about education. It took about three weeks as an assistance track coach for a local elementary school in the Spring of 2009 to convince me children was my answer. The last year has been spent getting my ducks in a row and preparing myself for what I know will be the most difficult journey I will ever complete.
So here I sit ready to read countless books, discuss hundreds of articles, and spend tens of thousands of dollars all to be in an industry that is known to overwork, underpay, under appreciate, and ignore what works best. Why? Why would I do this to myself and my family? Because when I think about it with the end in mind, I want my eulogy to be a story of someone who followed his heart, positively touched the lives of countless people, and at least attempted to make this world a better place. It seems so simple. It seems so....Elementary.
Who am I? Good Question. The basic facts it would behoove a reader to be educated upon are the following:
- I am a male in my early 30's
- I live in Kirkland, WA. About 10 minutes east of Seattle.
- I have been married for 10 years and have an "almost 4" year old daughter.
- I am beginning a one year program at a local university to obtain my Elementary School Teaching Certificate.
What's my story?
The back story that brings us to the beginning of this journey is simple. In 1999 I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Economics...and not a clue what I wanted to do with it. I dabbled in financial planning for 3 years, non-profit fundraising for 1, and customer service management for 6. I wouldn't trade any of the experiences I had or the friends I made as they all added up to a feeling that I had more to offer someone, somewhere. By the summer of 2008 I had decided I needed more fulfillment with my career. I had my personal life. I had my spiritual life. But I wanted more out of my career. By the fall, I had figured out the one piece of fabric that tied all my years as a professional together...teaching. Educating clients on how to plan financially, showing everyday people what their volunteer time and dollars can do for a community, and convincing customer service reps of how they make such a difference to so many people is where I truly excelled at my jobs. I thought about who would gain the most from my enthusiasm about education. It took about three weeks as an assistance track coach for a local elementary school in the Spring of 2009 to convince me children was my answer. The last year has been spent getting my ducks in a row and preparing myself for what I know will be the most difficult journey I will ever complete.
So here I sit ready to read countless books, discuss hundreds of articles, and spend tens of thousands of dollars all to be in an industry that is known to overwork, underpay, under appreciate, and ignore what works best. Why? Why would I do this to myself and my family? Because when I think about it with the end in mind, I want my eulogy to be a story of someone who followed his heart, positively touched the lives of countless people, and at least attempted to make this world a better place. It seems so simple. It seems so....Elementary.
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