Love your post. I think all undergrads need some type of course in ethics and human relationships. Without that, all the knowledge in the world for any given field is not worth it. I also loved the Palmer quote about taking responsibility for what we know. The citizens in Flint, Michigan could definitely have benefitted from somebody taking a stand based on what they knew. Many great points in your blog!

Love the title on this blog – Pass Me My Shield Please. I’ll keep this visual in my mind when I’m faced with a difficult conversation about doing what is right for students.
I also like Duckworth’s work on grit. One of my cohort members did a paper on it and had considered trying to do a dissertation on high school students’ grit. It can be hard to measure, but for the most part, we can recognize grit when we see it in action.

Love your use of words, “collegiate meat grinder.” I’ve never heard that but definitely relate to it. I like your recognition of how the design phase has a ton of answers. I can also appreciate having a baseline that contributes to the ability to come up with those answers. Another thought I had about taking the classes that don’t seem to match with your major, is that the contribution you give to the class rather than get. I know nothing about engineering, but have really valued all the contributions made by the engineers in this class and they way they see things through a different lens.

I think it is a good idea to reflect on teaching methods. From the reading, it may be helpful to have a colleague come in and provide some “coaching” like the surgeon did in our readings. This could help validate what you are doing and then perhaps improve upon methods and strategies. Good luck with what you decide to do.

LikeLike

I love the title and the story! I believe many students will benefit from the change you made to do what you love. Relationship building is definitely the foundational pillar for teaching. I worked with a teacher at a former school who was an engineer by trade and she decided to teach at the elementary level (bless her). She has definitely made an unmistakable impact on the school she is in, especially with STEM and with female perceptions in math. We need more people like the two of you.

Thanks Susan. I appreciate what you said about not waiting for someone else to do the right thing.

Thanks Meredith. I agree with you about making an impact on colleagues and setting an example for what is the right thing to do.

Thank you for the comment. As an elementary school principal, I can say we have moved in a positive direction on helping students develop a love of learning. We try to avoid “sit and get” and encourage student voice and choice. Students are constantly working in small collaborative groups and are praised for thinking out of the box. I especially love problem based learning and STEM in elementary schools. Student creativity is amazing!
We are not where we need to be….but are better than we were.
Now, if we could just get rid of those standardized tests!!

Thanks for the comment. After reading all the group blog posts, I can hear the passion coming through too.

I agree with you that it is harder for adults to open up to new ideas. I’ve heard it referred to as being “set in your ways.”