A few weeks ago, my principal knocked on my door and asked if I would be willing to have one of the new education students from the Medicine Hat College come to my class to do some observations. Without much in the way of hesitation, I quickly said yes, and made my way back to my desk feeling just a little more confident than I was 17 seconds before. Surely, after nearly 8 years of teaching it was time to be able to pass on a little more of the sage wisdom I had accumulated to one in a rising generation of eager educators. This would be interesting.
And then I woke up this morning, and realized that I had no idea what I was going to say. I panicked a little. Well... maybe more than a little.
I spent most of the morning thinking about my own experiences as a student-teacher, both failures and successes. I remembered the feeling of hopelessness and rejection during my IPT (Introductory Professional Term) as my first mentor teacher essentially locked me away in an office after teaching my first class of the day for nearly 4 weeks straight. Apparently my German wasn't good enough and she felt it would be best for me to plan for most of the day instead of being in the class. While I passed the practicum, I was so turned off by the experience that I was certain I no longer even wanted to be a teacher. I set my sights on a permanent position with a landscaping contractor and figured that I would at least finish my degree and be done with it.
On the other hand, I also remember my APT (Advanced Professional Term) and the relief at being able to work with two mentors who let me experiment and figure things out for myself. I was allowed to form relationships with staff and students and given the freedom to play with the curriculum instead of feeling limited by my own weaknesses. Rather than hide me away, they let me own my time at the school. I won't make the claim that I was an amazing student, but I will say that my passion for teaching was rekindled. It was that feeling that I left home with the desire to recreate.
After meeting my student and giving her a quick tour, she got to work writing detailed notes over our routine for the morning. I would try to touch base during the classes but I also wanted her to come to her own conclusions about what went well and what didn't work. Before she left for the day, I sat down with her and said that I was not a perfect teacher and that I made mistakes all the time. As a student-teacher, I remembered feeling overwhelmed with the desire to do what my mentors wanted me to do. That was what I mainly felt would be the path to success. As I look back on that, I realize how wrong I was, and that's what I told my student. I said that she shouldn't hesitate to find her own groove and inject her own personality, talents, and perspective into her approach. After all, if she couldn't be herself as a teacher, then what is she ultimately hoping to accomplish? There is no one mold for being a successful educator. At the core of this profession is a passion for learning: in creating that feeling in others and maintaining it for yourself.
CHHS eSports: Our Humble Beginning
When we had our first meeting back in January, the top game request with nearly 50% of all votes cast was Smash Brothers for WiiU. So, naturally, that's what we're going to start with. I managed to secure a copy of the game along with a brand new WiiU Mario Kart Bundle.
I'll be the first to admit that Nintendo is not always to first choice among hardcore gamers who craze somethine more intense or realistic. However, I maintain that no other game company can create the kind of universal and downright fun like Nintendo can. Perhaps that's one reason why I still like their games so much: it's about keeping it approachable and accessible for everyone. I can come home from work, help my own kids with their chores, and all of us can run downstairs, grab a controller, and have a blast! That's not always something easily done with their competitors in an age of gritty photo-realism, stylized violence, and toxic online communities.
It's my hope that as people see our small group grow, it will lead to great things.
Well, what if there's no tomorrow? There wasn't one today.
Groundhog Day remains one of my all-time favorite films. Too many classic moments. I've written about this before so I won't overdo it. I will, however, share this little gem. The world needs more Ned Ryerson. Bing!!!
~Mr. T
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