Prompt: Name three strengths you have as an educator.
I am open-minded (most of the time) ...
My parents always told me that trying new things would open up many possibilities for me. My mom was constantly telling me that I couldn't possibly hate something unless I tried it out at least once. This has carried over into my teaching. I'm willing to try out new methods and techniques in my classroom for the sake of finding something that my students can connect with on their level. Their ability to choose from an assortment of resources allows me the comfort of seeing where they stand and how far they are willing to go.
I've come across several colleagues that tend to be debbie-downers in terms of trying new things. And I'm not going to lie, sometimes hearing about a new change on the wrong day can really get me going. I may join the bandwagon with all those that have already written off something entirely new to our campus, but normally after a couple of days, I realize the benefits of that particular item. And every time, I hear my mom's voice in the back of my mind saying, "You shouldn't have dismissed it so early ... look what you've been missing out on."
Open-mindedness is almost a necessary skill for teachers because of all the different students that will walk through our doors in a given year. Some of our most gifted students may be the quietest, and those that are struggling the most are loud merely because they crave some sort of attention (that they aren't getting at home). So, every year I enter with a mindset that is focused on keeping an door open for all the possibilities that are coming my way.
I love a good competition/challenge ...
I'm an extremely competitive person (thanks dad!). Simply put - I like to win. I'm not going to sugar coat that statement or try to make it more palpable. I love to push myself to be the very best in all that I do, and I will not settle for second best. Many people might freak out reading this, but I really don't see the problem with wanting to be the best. I mean, I do understand that I won't be the best all the time, but I can guarantee you that I will try my hardest to push myself beyond that of the average person. Especially when it comes to figuring out a tough situation, I love to throw myself completely into the situation and figure it out. Nothing feels better to me than doing something that other people have given up on.
Some people are probably wondering - how in the heck does that translate to a strength for a teacher?! Well, I give in 110%, and I make sure that every single student does the same. I realize that they might not be the best writer, artist, or critical thinker, but they will be the best version of themselves in my class. It's all in figuring out what works best for them.
I also like to work with the students that many have given up on at some point. Some of my favorite memories are with students that weren't in the top 10% of their class, or the start quarterback, but the student that was pushing themselves to graduate and be the first person to go to college in their family. I don't know how many students I have had transferred into my class because I'm the teacher the counselor's feel will be the "best fit" for this particular "troubled" student. I've had such diversified classes in my first years teaching, and I keep telling myself "bring it" because someone's got be there for all the students, not just the ones everyone wants to teach.
A quick story for you: A couple of years ago, when I was a permanent substitute, I was working at the high school covering for the psychology/sociology teacher, and I had a student (a senior) that was always doodling little images on the sides of assignments that he completed. I wrote a note to him on one of his assignments telling him that I thought that he was ridiculously talented, and asked if he had considered applying to art school. He came up to me after class, and we started talking. He told me that many of his siblings barely made it through high school, but he was determined to do more. He had considered art school, but ultimately decided that his goal was the local college because he wanted to open up his own tattoo parlor. He figured that he would get a business degree and minor in art. I was floored ... the amount of thought and perseverance in this student was astounding, and I wished him the best of luck. A couple of months later he came by the classroom and told me that he submitted some of his original artwork to the school, and it was selected as the cover art for the graduation program. I ran into him at the mall two years ago, and he told me with the largest grin on his face that he was halfway done with his business degree. He said it was some of the hardest work he's ever done (and business math was kicking his butt), but he was going to finish his degree. I told him I was so proud of him, and that I was expecting an invite to opening of his tattoo parlor.
My sense of humor is incomparable ...
Oh man, I love to laugh! A bad day for me is one in which I do not laugh at least once. Many people mistake me for being much younger than I am because, according to them, I just don't age. Mind you, I'm only 27, but I really think that I look so young in comparison to others due to my love of laughing. Sure I stress way too much, but I figure a good belly laugh can offset it.
In teaching, you really have to know when to be serious and when to just let it go. Sometimes the students just need an adult to show them that failure is going to happen, and you just need to laugh it off and move on. I don't know how many times I've thought that I had just given the absolute BEST lecture of my life only to see 30 pairs of eyes looking at me like I had just lost it. So what's a girl to do? I just laugh, and say "okay, let's try that again." By accepting the inevitability of failure, we can all live a more purposeful life. I think that sometimes you have to just shake of the bad to refresh with the new.
Today, I had a student (a class clown) who started quoting a particular show in my class, and I turned to him and stared him dead in the eyes. He stopped and looked at me, waiting for me to say something along the lines of "stop talking." But I looked at him, and finished the quote. He lost it! The whole class was in stitches about the whole thing, because they thought that I was going to kill the moment. He mentioned how he didn't think that I watched "normal" television, and I told him that between watching "NPR" and "The Weather Channel," I sometimes watch the other stations. Sarcasm is a language that I'm pretty fluent in, and these students love holding complete conversations in it. We are able to connect through our laughter and build a sense of community.
-A
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