Prompt: What would you do (as a teacher) if you weren't afraid?
Now this is a question that allows us to finish the reflective teacher challenge with a bang! I can only imagine what other teachers would answer if I were to ask them this tomorrow. Fear is truly the enemy of progress, so it's time to consider a world where fear is nonexistent. I believe that by actually putting down these thoughts tonight, I will actually be able to see a potential list of goals for me in the coming years. I can't help but think of the Allegory of Cave as I contemplate my response, because I'm taken back to something a student mentioned last year after we discussed the meaning of this particular philosophical piece. This student dared to ask the class the following question - "Why do we allow fear to keep us chained within our own caves?" This caught me off guard because I never considered the idea that we allow fear to consume our lives. So, here's what I would do should I happen to shed my fear and insecurities:
I would voice my opinion more in class. Too often I've kept my personal views out of the material I covered in the class because I was too afraid that the students would view this as me trying to force my beliefs on them. Instead, I think that if I had more confidence I would offer my viewpoint in class with an explanation of why I came to a certain conclusion. Many students may actually care about what their teacher thinks, and hearing information from the source would allow them to see that we are humans too. There are also times when students feel that there might be something wrong with the way that they are thinking because all the comments made in class are leaning away from their own view, but if it was similar to that of the teacher, it would offer them a sense of security. I care about what my students think and feel, and I feel that teachers could form better educational relationships with their students if they were were to share their own thoughts and feelings.
I would get rid of the current grading system that students are most familiar with today. The process of taking grades doesn't really measure the comprehension of students; instead, it shows how well students are at completing assignments. I think that the focus should be placed on the process of learning as opposed to the sole focus on the end. In my second year teaching, I had a student freak out because they earned a 70 on an exam and had never scored anything below a 90 on a social studies exam. I told her that she needed to work on her writing skills, and she did improve over the course of semester. More importantly, she started to regard each assignment as a means of developing her writing technique, and on the final exam she opted to complete an all essay version of the exam. Her skills developed within the course, and she began to see the value in the process of gaining new skills. I wish that all of my students could place the value on their learning process as opposed to what they scored on an exam. Every student learns differently, so why should be only be able to offer one medium of measuring their knowledge? It just doesn't make sense to me.
I would challenge the status quo in regards to teaching assignments. Too many times I've seen veteran teachers being offered challenging courses merely because they've been teaching a subject the longest. It can be these same teachers that are so comfortable with the material that they are unwilling to update their curriculum or teaching methods. If our students are constantly adapting to the world they live in, shouldn't teachers adapt to the new students that walk into their classroom? I would speak up for those teachers that have so many awesome ideas so that they can have the opportunity to take a chance with different types of students.
Now, this list could go on for days and days. Many teachers find that if they were allowed to tell people to leave them alone and let them teach, they would be better off. I really don't see an issue with thought process, but I find more value in being able to connect with others on a consistent basis.
-A
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