reflections: box pushing
This is my first reflection: box pushing
Reflecting on last week is going to take some effort- it seems like it was a long time ago. Last week pushed my boundaries a bit, getting used to the ‘thinking outside the box’ idea. I embrace it very much, but since the beginning of this program everything has been about boundaries and limitations. I like the idea of weighing the odds- how much trouble will this get me in? Will my students benefit from this? I am reading this book right now about a university professor who decided that the best way for his students to learn about American History was to take them to the sites. That to me is a great way to learn. I hope that in my future as a teacher I will encounter people who want to enable great learning.
A couple things that stuck with me this past week include ‘walk-abouts’ and how structured the school system is for students AND teachers. I wish that I had a teacher in high school that wanted to challenge me personally the way the girl in Blane’s class was able to challenge herself by going skydiving- that is an experience that goes far beyond teaching. That is self-discovery. I hope to bring that into my classroom; challenge students to learn about themselves, learn their strengths and weaknesses and why they are important. I think that the idea of walk-abouts (in the outback and in the classroom) is so interesting because it gives the students a medium through which they can evaluate and then learn to value themselves. The other point that I think is worth considering as a future teacher is the atomization of school, and thusly the lives of students and teachers. I don’t know that I agree with it. I understand the necessity of it; how else can we teach 8 subjects a day? But is it good for the students? I think that the school system should enable learning in an open, trustworthy environment. I believe that by structuring schooling the way we currently do is backwards to an adolescents learning system. One of Bridgit’s comments about her favorite teacher was that he let her sleep when she needed to. That is awesome. Understanding a student’s needs and experiences in that way indicates (to me) a very wise teacher. The system under which our students learn right now is backwards- I don’t think we give teachers enough time to teach effectively (too little time, too many students) nor do we give the students enough time to learn. If I remember my high school experience clearly, school was a balancing act between academics, sports, friends, family etc. From the sounds of it, that is true for teachers too.
On another note, I am looking forward to this course. I am excited to put my random thoughts about education to paper and really learn what I think about this whole experience.
