I have had several blogs over the years and have been unable to sustain any of them which pains me because I have taught teachers to blog, promoted blogging as an instructional tool and a personal learning tool for years. So...I am making another attempt and will attempt a little more discipline and focus. Time will tell.
As for my inagural post, I was recently asked by a friend to share my Teacher of the Year essay. He teaches students in the Virginia's Teachers for Tomorrow program and asks his students to write about their philosophy of education. I was a Teacher of the Year some time ago, andreading it now, it seems like my focus wandered. It does make me smile to remember my teaching days so I thought it would be a good first blog post.
My Teacher of the Year Essay (1998)
In Russian, the word for teach is the same as the word for learn or understand. The duality of meanings implied with that one word intrigues me, and in it, I find the basis for my educational practices and beliefs. Through teaching, I learn about myself as well as the world around me. On my own path of learning, I find myself teaching and sharing my discoveries and beliefs with colleagues. I find that each day is a collaboration with students, peers, parents, and administrators, and in my role as a teacher, I can learn from them all.
So strong is my belief that my students possess a wealth of opinions and experiences from which I can benefit, that when faced with the task of describing my educational philosophy, I turned to my students. In my students' description of my teaching style, it was a validation to note that what I perceive as the foundation of my educational philosophy emerge from their comments.
Meeting individual needs is the cornerstone of my teaching. Challenging the brightest, aiding those who struggle, and inspiring those unmotivated is my goal each day. Most every student noted my interest in technology which developed primarily because I have found no other tool so motivating and so suited to meeting individual needs and interests. So while as one student notes that I am a "specialized person in computerism," my motive has always been to find the most effective means of reaching all my students. While students are unaware of the hours spent researching new strategies as well as collecting student data for analysis and planning, their comments reveal an appreciation for the diverse methods used such as cooperative groups, flexible groups, individualized vocabulary and reading instruction, and student-driven projects.
While my students certainly mentioned instructional strategies they enjoyed, many of their comments were related to my personality. Yes, I do "smile a lot," "laugh a lot," "teach with enthusiasm," and have a good sense of humor," but most importantly, my students recognize that I "love to be a teacher" because I "care about people." One of my students wrote that I gave her "reasons to learn," and as a teacher, if I can find the reasons and the strategies that will enable each of my students to learn, I can consider myself an outstanding teacher.
