Teaching, Metaphorically Speaking

     When I envision myself teaching at my best, I am like the tortoise from the classic children’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare.  It will be most important for me to remember the moral of that classic tale; Slow and steady wins the race. This motto correlates with a good teacher’s disposition on so many levels. It is imperative that my effort toward each lesson remains steady. The tortoise is a much slower animal, but every step he takes is well planned and devoted to reaching his goal of the finish line. Every move in the classroom needs to be one in the forward direction. If that means moving at a slower rate than had been desired, then so be it. If, as a teacher, the lesson moves along too quickly and leaves a group of students behind, then I have really only lost time and gained no distance toward the encompassing goal.
     There was never a question, in the story, who is the faster runner. However, there is no benefit of having speed if there is no direction. Temptations will be vast to slip into the role of the hare as he seems to have the clear advantage, which is the shadow side of the tortoise. If I become over confident with my students’ abilities or my own, I will be tempted to speed up the pace of a unit and perhaps become ‘unsteady’, or less structured with each lesson. With moving at a faster pace, I will surely end up compromising effective assessment of both the students’ comprehension and the effectiveness of my lesson.  In some variations of the classic, the hare is depicted as arrogant.  This is one of the worst traits of a teacher for several reasons. If a teacher becomes arrogant, there is an increased risk that they will treat their students as if they are inferior to them.  Also, an arrogant teacher will think they have a handle on everything when they really can never. Things in the classroom are ever changing and a teacher needs to continually assess and adapt. A great teacher is he who understands there is and always will be room for improvement. 

My Invisible Knapsack

      Until very recently, I have never had a great deal of success with my education. More college semesters than not, I have withdrawn from at least one class to spare myself from receiving a failing grade. As I walk into new classrooms at the beginning of each semester, I cannot help but to internalize that my professors can instantly pinpoint this about me and label me as an 'average'or even 'below average' student. Perhaps it isn't so much an invisible knapsack as it had been described in class, but rather an invisible name tag that reads, "Hi, I'm Garrett. Take caution when grading my work. Although I write fairly well, I am a low achieving student". Though my study habits and attitude toward my education has change immaculately, I am afraid it will be seen as fraudulent. Though it has been a struggle, I am bound and determined to reevaluate myself in accordance to my more recent educational achievements.
      History repeats itself. I scrapped by through high school and I started here at Northern on the same train. But history also changes and it is taking me a while to accept the changes. Really, to be proud of my recent accomplishments. I shouldn't walk into a classroom at the beginning of a semester and say, "okay, these are the students I will have to keep up with. I should be able to walk into a classroom of unfamiliar peers and be able to say, "great, these are the kids I am going to be working with for the next four months. We will be challenging one another and making each other stronger, more proficient educators". I guess the problem lies within my intellectual confidence. It has come a long way since nearly bringing up the rear of my H.S. graduating class. However, ample progress is yet to be made.

Entry #3 -- Reading for Rebellion

01/24/2012

I recently read of a new program called 'The Uprise Book Project' (http://www.uprisebooks.org/).  Basically, the idea is to offer banned and challenged books to underprivileged children. I think this is an incredible idea and I hope it takes off. The reason many school aged children don't like to read is because they are offered literature that is of no interest to them. But when you tell a teenager that the book in his hand has been banned from several school districts for pornographic dialogue or explicit language, their interest is instantly sparked. Considering mainstream after school  activities, such as playing violent video games, watching television and movies of similar content, or experimenting with recreational drugs,  it would be a blessing for a student to be reading one of several banned books at his/her own will. Kids however prefer getting together to play video games in which they shoot each other (more or less) with fully automatic guns or blow one another's heads off  with rocket launchers.  Imagine a group of teens sitting around talking about Huck Finn or The Great Gatsby. Admittedly, I am having difficulty seeing such a scenario play out as common place, but one can dream.

Nevertheless, I like the idea of promoting reading as a rebellious act and think it can be very effective.

Entry #2 -- What I do to Make Sense of Reading

1/19/2012

      Directions: Find at least one “every-day” text and identify what you do to make the text make sense.

      For my “every-day” text, I chose to read a recipe for making Macadamia Lemon Bars. The first sentence of the description for making the lemon bars read, “These bars melt in your mouth”. In reading this sentence, I realized that I visualize the verbs and nouns. I mentally created a motion image of a lemon bar melting, unrealistically and exaggerated, as I envisioned it entering my mouth.  In the second sentence, there was a typo (…when people taste this treats) and though I understood the sentence as it was meant to be written, I reread it several times. I think I did this to ensure the mistake was actually in the text and not in wrongful interpretation.

      While reading the directions for making the lemon bars, I noticed that I mentally say most of the words that I read, but I can still comprehend each direction without saying the small two, three, and four letter words. Also, my eyes are faster than the voice in my head. That is to say, I see each word and move on to the next before I say the word.  I believe this helps me foresee punctuation and any other indicators of tone and emphasis.

      I found this assignment to be quite challenging. I have never been asked to analyze what it is I actually do while I am reading.  I suppose my methods for comprehension will vary greatly with the type of text. Hopefully through ED319, I will be coached to better determine what I am doing while I read to assist comprehension.

Entry #1 -- My Reading History

01/16/2012

     Until I read Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salenger during summer school after an unsuccessful first attempt at Freshman English, I had never enjoyed reading. It was probably the first novel type book that I ever read cover to cover. I loved the tone of the book and the humor. The main character, Holden Caufield, reminds me of my brother. They are both very judgmental and ignorant to outside perspectives.   Still to this day, I have only read a few books which I have not been asked to read as an assignment. I have however found pleasure in reading. A Walk in the Woods was another one that I read during my High school years which I enjoyed.  Those are the only two books I have ever reread by choice. In rereading the entire books, I found that I pick up on a lot of the story that I missed the first time around.  

     Besides Salenger’s Catcher in the Rye, my attention as a reader has mostly gravitated toward Non-fiction books. I find fiction to be a waste of my time.  I also like reading collections of short stories.  Assholes Finish First is hilarious, though I strongly question the accuracy of the ‘true stories’ in the book. I find myself reading for enjoyment more in the summer than otherwise. I suppose my mind is stimulated enough during the school year with other forms of reading. I hope this changes as I transition from student to teacher in the classroom.