Prompt: Do you have other hobbies/interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain.
One of the greatest joys in the teaching profession is connecting with students. The best feeling however is finding something that has brought you so much joy doing the same thing to your students. Anything from books to music, or an internet meme, maybe a TV show.
I'm constantly referencing pop culture in my class, because why not? I love Netflix, movies, and pop music just like them, so I figure it's best to include it within a lesson plan. For most of my students, they get a kick out of the analogies that I use when talking about the most mundane things. My students really liked a lesson that I used that compared Asian horror films to American horror remakes. Now, I didn't show the entire movies, just three minute clips, and had the students discuss the use of various elements to achieve the main goal of scaring the audience. This opens up a further discussion about the culture of other regions in comparison and a possible culture of violence. A couple of days later, I had students approaching me with movies from other world regions and wanting to discuss the importance of cinema within the realm of globalization ... I was floored! They were talking about the Hunger Games and Battle Royale, and films from Mexico and counterparts in the United States. The students were using the critical analysis as well as communication skills. Finding the balance of pop culture and the curriculum makes the class more enjoyable, but importantly, more relevant to them.
Well, the next major interest kind of stems from the fact that I'm the daughter of teacher-coach. I LOVE college football (especially my Aggies, WHOOP!), and will constantly discuss the latest stats with my football players. They love that they have a teacher that can actually relate to them, and I love that I can share that with them. They no longer see me as just their teacher, but someone who is a human being with interests that just happen to align with their passion. It's even gotten to the point where a good chunk of my students will wear their preferred college t-shirt just to rile me up. Either way, I also talk to the students about whether or not they've considered college at this point. I make sure that my students start seriously thinking about weighing their options and preparing now so they are not struggling as upperclassmen.
I'm a huge bookworm. I probably buy more books than I have room for in the little space that I have available. To put it into perspective, I have a storage unit that has about a third of it filled with boxes of books. Anyways, I love to read all genres, but the books I really enjoy reading during the school year are the Young Adult books. My favorites this past summer were all the works by John Green. I just couldn't put them down. Now that the school year has started, when I see students with their own copies of the book, I make a comment about the book or offer a suggestion about other books that they might enjoy. Also, I reference these books when explaining different cultures, and I try to find books that the students could relate to from authors from different parts of the world. Opening up their minds to other styles of writing and authors that aren't American allows them to see the broader scope of my course as well as our world. It's a beautiful thing to see students embrace other cultures, and I fully appreciate the role I get to play in bridging that gap for them.
Lastly, I spent three years completing a master's degree in history, and I was blown away with the amount of information and approaches used in the field, that I can't help but share that with students. I particularly took to re-examining historical events from a variety of views, not just that of the dominant voice. I always tell my students to remember that "history is written in the eyes of the victor with the blood of the defeated"; therefore, we must be careful to examine multiple points of view when we study a culture. The last thing I would want for my students is to walk out of my class not appreciating and valuing every single world region. It takes me a lot of time to break down the prejudices and hate that has been built up over years in the hearts of some of my students, but the moment the students can view an issue from another's frame of mind and consciously make an informed decision, I feel like I've done my job well. My students and I have enjoyed moments in which we examine various cultures and see all the contributions they've provided us in today's world. Just the other day I had a student point out to me that I was thinking in the "American frame of mind" and so I was making an assumption. I ate my words, and looked at this students and said to him, "You're absolutely right. Thanks for pointing that out." I was absolutely proud that a student was willing to stand up and correct me.
The joy of teaching allows for us to be able to embed our passions and interests within our every day lessons. When the students see how much we love something, then they are pushed to share their interests with others. We are creating safe environments for the students to share and collaborate, and this makes coming to school more of a joy and less of a chore.
-A
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