Teacher, teacher, can you teach me?

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

Blogging Challenge - Day 9

I'll keep the post brief because I fell behind again.  Something about this time of year... my own kids are in extracurricular activities, I've taken up a little bit of volleyball reffing, parent-teacher interviews and other preparations for report cards, and other demands.  This certainly isn't to say that I'm unique when compared to other teachers, or any other field for that matter.  However, this does mean that I need to work a little bit harder to get back into this habit.

I've struggled a little bit with today's topic: one of my most significant accomplishments that no one else knows about.  Contrary to what many might think of me today, I spent most of life as a pretty shy and reserved kid.  I didn't like to put myself in any situation that would be potentially embarrassing so I largely kept to myself.  I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing because that was easier for me than dealing with any potential fallout from letting others down.

After 7 years of teaching, I like to think that I'm still a pretty modest individual.  I know that there are things that I do well but that is readily and easily tempered by the recognition that I have a lot more to do.  Consistency, and not just in blogging, comes to mind among other areas.

All that being said, without going into details, I will say that what most seems to fit the bill for today's topic are the moments when I get the chance to work one-on-one with students who are really struggling.  I know the feeling well, when you've put off a needed conversation for far too long and need to face the inevitable.  There have been many who have finally come to visit with me after school away from the forces of peer pressure.  Here they can be a little more honest with themselves as they recognize that they need to be doing something different.  They are open to being taught and together we can come up with a plan to help them move forward.

Whether it's for help on an essay, going over a failed exam, getting caught up on a plethora of late and incomplete homework, or trying to cope with the difficult circumstances that they have then found themselves in, it is perhaps these moments that I have been most proud of.  There really isn't much to it, other than a genuine desire to improve and sincere effort to move forward.

Simple, rambling thoughts to be sure, but will at least meet the requirement for now.

Now... back to work.

Blogging Challenge - Day 6

Mentoring has often been one of those topics that is easy to understand on the surface, but difficult to truly recognize, let alone master.  For the sake of clarity, a quick Google search reveals that mentorship involves the sharing of wisdom and knowledge to someone of less experience.  Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that true mentorship occurs when someone is guiding another person.  This isn't a simple matter of giving instruction and turning the student loose.  To be a mentor means so much more: it means that both are active participants in the required learning.

Take the example shown above.  In "The Empire Strikes Back" (easily the best in the series), it showcases the continued desire of Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi.  He knows that this isn't knowledge he can just read from a book.  No.  Luke understands that he needs the guiding influence of a Jedi Master so he seeks him out.  As he begins his training, it is important to note that Yoda is with Luke nearly every step of the way, providing instruction, encouragement, and words of caution.  This is a clear example of what I would consider active mentorship.  Well... now I've got that out of my system.

When I reflect on my own life, I'm often overwhelmed at just how many true mentors have been a part of it, even especially when I didn't recognize it.  My thoughts often turn to my dad, a man who worked hard at his career and really tried to maximize the time he had with us as a family in his time off.

Apologies in advance for the grainy quality of the following pictures:

Dad and I fishing near Elkwater

Enjoying some Christmas presents

While I was looking for a few examples in the old photo album, I also remembered playing basketball as a kid.  My dad loves sports and he tried to pass that love on to each of us, along with the sense of dedication that would be required to succeed.  I can remember many nights where I would finish a game or practice and, after everyone else left, he would have me practice shooting, my lay-ups, or some other skill that he felt needed some work.  I can remember hating it some nights... a lot of the time I just wanted to get home to bed and I had already done enough.  However, with time I began to understand that it wasn't ideal to just do enough: I needed to push myself and I needed to take things further than I was often willing to go.

Now as a teacher, I'm faced with the daily challenge of motivating my students, and myself, to go beyond what is merely acceptable.  I need to push myself to go beyond simply going through the content, which can be relatively easy.  Teaching needs to be much more than just giving them the answers and turning them loose on the next grade.  If we are to be mentors, we need to get involved.  We need to get right in the middle of the action and participate in what our students are doing.

This is much easier said than done.  Everyone has their bad days.  There are times when, like many others in my profession, I just want to hide behind my desk and will those minutes to go by faster.  There are times when I am not as patient as I need to be with every single student.  And, perhaps, more often than I should, I simply do enough.  It isn't that I don't work hard at my job but I need to remember in those moments that teaching shouldn't just be about me: it should ultimately be focused on my students.

Earlier when I discussed what I love so much about teaching, upon further reflection I now realize that those treasured experiences that I enjoy so deeply are when I am being a mentor and more than just a teacher.  That isn't to say that teaching in any way is lessened when that ideal is not reached, but it reminds me of why I got into this in the first place, and what I need to commit to keep reaching for.  In many ways, it puts me right back in that empty gymnasium all those years ago.  Try and try again.

~Mr.T