Month: October 2017

[course assignment]

Before I started teaching, a friend shared with me learned wisdom from his time as a student-slash-instructor, that peculiar situation in which many of the GEDI order now find themselves. “You learn a lot about yourself by teaching,” he said. This didn’t make me excited. I already know a lot about myself — I kind of wish I knew less, actually. And I definitely don’t want undergraduates to serve as a mirror to any self-knowledge of which I myself am unaware, even if their youth and scholarly acumen could produce some creative insights. Like Sarah Deel, I’ve had age and gender-based concerns about emphasizing too much of my “real” self in the classroom. Young female instructors already have to work harder than their male counterparts to gain respect, and it seemed to me like “learning about myself” would only come through an over-emphasis on me in the classroom.

At the end of my first semester of teaching, I was emotionally and intellectually depleted. Instructors field everything from frequent, unnecessary questions about assignments (how many times can you say: i t ‘ s  o n   t h e   s y l l a b u s) to potentially grave psychological issues among their students. This is all, of course, aside from the work of conveying the content of your course. It seemed to me then that people who take up teaching for the “soft” payoffs — the gratification of doing such meaningful work; a sense of connection to the rising generation — are in it for the wrong reasons. Teaching, I thought, should be about a love of the subject. Passion for knowledge, not people, is what makes a good teacher. Maybe it’s even okay to see it as “just” financial security while pursuing your own research.

Over time,  my perspectives on this have become more nuanced. College kids have a sixth sense for BS — so the appearance of naturalness in the classroom is  important, except you can’t be too natural if you yourself are obviously still in your twenties and of the gender that always has to fight to be taken seriously in intellectual professions. Yes, authenticity as a measure of success somehow seems unfair when “realness” can discredit you. What a mess!

For these reasons, Dr. Fowler’s paper on authentic teaching self is a bit of a godsend. I’ve sometimes found myself walking into the classroom while the mental tape in my head continually reminds myself that what’s about to happen is a performance. Dr. Fowler’s focus on the similarities between teaching and acting — and especially on the physical component of the teaching-performance — really compounds this. Good acting always includes some reality: actors are instructed to “think the thought,” to try to genuinely feel the emotion of a scene and get caught up in the story. This is why getting in and out of character is a practice, just like memorizing lines and stage directions. Likewise, I think there are shades and degrees of authenticity that you can exploit to bolster your teaching performance. I do care about my students, and I really love what I teach. Now I think of this positive regard as its own self-replenishing source of energy that can be channeled toward every element of teaching (including administration and grading).

Authenticity (or at the very least, its appearance) seems key to establishing yourself as a Yearner, too. Seymour Papert didn’t really investigate experience and demographic-based obstacles to the kind of paradigm shift he’s interested in — perhaps he does that later in the book. So I think Dr. Fowler’s tools are a little bit more useful to me than Papert’s theory, although I certainly read the former as a vehicle for the latter. In truth, I’m still not totally at ease as an instructor. My teaching “voice” is still relatively untrained. Only with more time will I be able to gracefully navigate the space between absolute transparency and an overly stiff professional mask, both of which are hardly ideal as teaching personas. Perhaps the self that I’ll learn “a lot” about will be composed of those parts I feel comfortable showing in front of students. Those elements of ourselves that we draw from when we teach have got to be some of the most timeless, the most meaningful.

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For those not in GEDI, the Virginia Tech graduate pedagogy course, here are the writings I’m responding to in this post:

http://cte.virginia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Deel.pdf

http://amynelson.net/grad5114F15/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-Authentic-Teaching-Self-and-Communication-Skills.pdf (I really like this one)

https://ia801002.us.archive.org/28/items/pdfy-WeLwkqLL6w830OqF/Papert%20Seymour-The%20Children’s%20Machine.pdf

 

The post GEDI post IV: My Voice? My VOICE? appeared first on .

Sarah Deel’s thoughts outlined in Finding My Teaching Voice really resonate with me, for a number of reasons, and I find it pretty helpful in gaining insight into how my own personality can contribute to and shape my teaching style.  One major commonality between myself and Deel is our undergraduate educational background at small liberal-arts colleges, and the impact that experience has had on the way we think about teaching and interacting with students.  The mentors and infrastructure in general that fostered my learning and growth, specifically in a setting so supportive and engaging, represent the primary motivation for me that has led me to this career choice.  My former mentors have inspired me to pass on my passion for neuroscience and psychology to others.  I want undergraduates who may have been in a similar position as me, with limited research opportunities readily available, to gain exposure and feel encouraged to seek out those opportunities and dive into the world of research.  But what is the best way to open someone’s eyes and instill this passion in them?

Just like Deel has explained in her essay, my reference point is, naturally, those professors who inspired me so much during my undergraduate years.  How did they inspire and instill passion in me?  The most effective mentors and professors that have shaped me the most were first and foremost approachable and accessible.  Some of them were charming and funny, but in others the most inspiring characteristic was their pure passion for the topic they were teaching.  Flexibility in assessments and assignments made a huge difference for me too.  The classes and professors that were most successful in passing on knowledge used a variety of approaches for their students, and individualized these approaches in many ways.  Sometimes this meant students had the option for the final assessment.  Whether students felt their strengths were in presenting information orally or in using the written word to form a term paper, each student had the option to take advantage of their strengths.  Other times this involved incorporating classroom activities that allowed for multi-modal learning.  Visual learners and tactile learners alike equally benefit from these sorts of activities, giving learners of all kinds the ability to truly absorb and apply information.

Being aware of and maintaining boundaries between myself and others has also been a concern as I imagine myself as a professor, but also as a relatable human in the classroom.  As professor Fowler mentions in The Authentic Teaching Self and Communication Skills, you have to draw the line as the professor to avoid being on the same plane as students, but at the same time must encourage bi-directional teaching and learning.  You have to be open to learning from students, but must also maintain authority.  I think this can be overcome with a few approaches.  On the first day of class, I think it would be worthwhile to introduce myself as a scholar so students can know where I’m coming from and see what I’ve accomplished.  This would not be to brag, but to show students that although I’m a young woman, and I’m laid back and relatable and easy going, I also have qualifications and credibility, and deserve their respect.  This has always been an issue with me, as I believe I can come off as young and spacey sometimes, and I can imagine this being a huge problem if that is the students’ first impression.  From there, as Fowler mentions, building rapport would follow and could be accomplished by getting to know the individual students via ice-breakers, setting the tone of the class, and ensuring transparency in my choices.

So how does my personality lend itself to creating a classroom atmosphere conducive to optimal learning?  What does my voice really sound like?  I think my teaching voice will one day be defined by my preparedness, flexibility, creativity, and general attitude that promotes a trusting and respectful relationship with those around me.  I think above all else, I have the ability and willingness to be truly transparent in my methods.  As Deel discusses, I find value in overviewing my pedagogy, approach to assessment, and expectations for learning from the outset.  I think when students can see and understand professors’ motives behind their decisions, it makes them more approachable and honest right away.

The topic of the authentic teaching self is a tricky one, especially for those not so far removed from undergrad themselves. This concept of balance–professionalism vs. humanity–stares me in the face every time I walk into the class room. I’m almost a decade older than these students though I like to think that it’s not that visible yet. I like to think that they can’t tell the difference between 23 and 26, so in their minds, I’m not too far ahead of them in years. They know I’m “younger” than some, but I also want them to respect me. Like Shelli Fowler states in her handout, “The Authentic Teaching Self and Communication Skills,” “…As the teacher you are never on a completely equal level with the students, even as you recognize that your students can be both learners/teachers in various moments, and even as your recognize that you can be a teacher/learner” (1).  So again here’s this question of balance: I’m not their equal, but I’m not on a pedestal either.

Like I said, I’ve struggled with this concept a lot. Last fall as GTAs, we were told that it’s a good idea to have a clear boundary with your students. Don’t treat them too much as friends because that opens the door for them to take advantage of you. You know, like that If You Give A Mouse a Cookie-kind-of-story? Last semester, I was super professional with my students, and it worked out very well. They didn’t know that much about me. My professional self was the self the students saw. But even at the beginning of this semester and especially after reading this, I know my authentic self was not as apparent last semester. But then again, I’m generally reserved and quiet with those I don’t know, so coming into the classroom with flashing light shows and vivid personal conversation is definitely not my authentic self. I’m truly trying to navigate the authentic self this semester, figuring out how to be more personal and involved with my students while keeping myself as an authority figure.

But then another problem arises. How can I present myself as an authority figure if I feel like a fraud? Sarah Deel said pretty much everything I feel. As I was reading through “Finding My Teaching Voice, ” I felt so relieved that I wasn’t alone in this situation. While I wasn’t entirely thrown into my classroom, I do feel underprepared, inadequate. I, too, am required to teach papers that I either haven’t written in a almost a decade or have never written at all. I have this overwhelming fear that my students are bored out of their minds and aren’t learning anything or, even worse, that they know I’m a joke. This is that little voice inside my head that likes to tell me that I have no idea what I’m doing. I listen to it a lot because it’s loud. But sometimes that voice of reason finds a way to get a word in edgewise and tells me that I do have a little bit of an idea of what I’m doing and that experience will teach me more.

Aye, there’s the rub. Experience and self-questioning are what I feel is key in both the articles of Deel and Fowler–these writings go together very well. Deel seems to have found her authentic self through semesters of teaching; I don’t think it’s something we know right away. She found what worked for her even if it wasn’t exactly cool or flashy. What mattered was her pedagogy and engaging students, and she found a way to embody that in the classroom. Fowler’s handout gives pertinent questions for me to ask myself to help me “find myself” in the place that is the classroom. The classroom is just as much a learning place for me as it is for my students. What I’ve found out is what I’ll  be trying to implicate more this semester. I’m happy that I already have begun to do so. Being real,  intentionally disclosing appropriate personal information to my students, connecting with them makes them more comfortable with me and probably gives them a more favorable impression of the course. Also, if I’m trying to teach my students not to be automaton thinkers and writers, I shouldn’t be an automaton instructor who shows up to perform the job and appears to have no personality. That’s the worst. I don’t think I was quite like that before (I desperately hope not), but I am working to have more conversations with my students and let me be me.

 

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Works Cited:

Deel, Sarah E. “Finding My Teaching Voice.” cte.virginia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Deel.pdf. Accessed 1 October 2017.

Fowler, Shelli. “The Authentic Teaching Self and Communication Skills.” mynelson.net/grad5114F15/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-Authentic-Teaching-Self-and-Communication-Skills.pdf. Accessed 1 October 2017.

 

 

 

I am me and I can be no one else.

I think I’ve known that from very early on in my teaching career. I’m not good at being something I’m not…at being something someone else is. My longest and most respected friend is also a teacher. I respect her teaching style very much, but it is not mine. I can only be me. And while I believe that the use of technology is very important, should be used, learned, etc., I think the teacher is still the most important educator in the room.

What I know about me:

I have a booming voice and I use it.

Students don’t have a hard time hearing me. I walk around the classroom. I gesture. I get excited sometimes. I also give students time to reflect and all is quiet…until I talk again. It is very similar to my “mom” voice.

I like concepts over details.

The devil is in the details and I like to stay away from the devil. Concepts in history or any subject, even math, are more interesting to me than details.

I like to teach skills and not dates.

Change over time is important in history and dates are important – but only when put in context and show the change over time. And while my students may or may not remember the dates of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (probably not) I do believe they will remember skills I teach them such as citing, writing in active voice, analyzing historical images and primary source material, learning to think critically and to write coherently.

I am organized but can change the plan if need be.

I believe planning for a class is very, very, very important; however, changing things to accommodate learning or the needs of students must be a tool I have in my “toolbox”, so to speak. Flexibility is important to me. Students learn in very different ways. I learn best in very traditional ways, but many people do not. My husband is convinced that the only way to teach is using the Socratic method. (Yes, of course I have wanted to sock him on numerous occasions.) I must be flexible to change plans on the fly or change an overall plan if need be to help learning.

I take teaching very seriously.

Teaching is a priority. The students or their parents (or the government, scholarship etc.) paid a lot of money to be sitting in the seat in my classroom. It is my duty, my responsibility to do the absolute best job I can in teaching them. Period.

I feel at ease in a classroom.

 I just am. I couldn’t bring myself to be nervous the first time I taught in a college classroom, although I probably could use a little nervous energy.

I am easy going and approachable, but set boundaries.

Thirty year olds I taught in middle and high school still call me “Ms. Skiles” and my college students call me Ms. Skiles as well, not Faith. My communications with them are on a very professional nature. Students though feel free to ask me the stupidest questions. It is amazing what connections you can make for students that they just “missed” somewhere along the line. In tutoring calculus, I find most students don’t have trouble with calculus, they just “missed” something in algebra, which you must know to do calculus. The only way to fill in these missing pieces is to be open to “stupid” questions and not to minimize their lack of knowledge. I answer emails from students that ask seemingly simple questions often with the phrase, “Good question” or “Thank you for the question.” This is my philosophy and it doesn’t have to be yours.

I like students to explore on their own.

I am happy when they tell me about something I don’t know. I am not an expert on world history from the beginning of time until 1500. (Is anyone?) I love it when students share what they know and I want them to explore the things that interest them.

I only react in strong ways when students disrespect each other.

Don’t do it. Just, don’t do it

And last but not least, although I’ve taught for going on 15 years, I am always willing to try new things.

My daughter teaches as well and we often talk about new ways to do things. She works in the communications department and her insights have greatly changed the way in which I approach power points, time in class and feedback.

These are things I know about myself as a teacher. But interestingly, these are also the ways I am as a person. My “authentic” voice as a teacher is the same as my “authentic” voice as a person. I am me and cannot be anyone else. I may be a favorite teacher for one student and not for another… or maybe for no one and that is fine.

I guess that I most closely identify with the reading by Sarah Deel when she comes to the realization of teaching as herself. I really don’t think I could have taught for as long as I have as “someone else.” I do think the outline by Professor Fowler, however, is a very good look into how you, as your authentic self, become a teacher. I also believe that despite a post that may seem status-quo, I am a Yearner. I taught my children to read because I didn’t trust School to do it. I also tried to incorporate learning beyond a classroom for my children, whether it was technology or milking goats.  And as I said earlier, I believe that technology is important and we need to move ahead in incorporating it in our classrooms, technology however, can’t replace the teacher who answers the seemingly stupid question.

Everyone is different. No two teachers are exactly same. Anyone embarking on the journey of finding an authentic voice as a teacher will, in my opinion, find it in who they are as people. And Students will benefit from the myriad of personalities, skills, voices that we all bring to the classroom.

This week’s readings called me for deep reflection. While it looks very evident, an effective way to become a good teacher through one-self awareness, it was not that evident to me. For sure there are strategies to gain student’s attention or to leave a lasting memory from a lecture, however, these strategies and techniques should be match with particular personalities to be efficient. Often times, people with opposite personalities try to use the same teaching strategy, which is no surprise that it will not produce similar outcomes. I enjoyed learning that to be a good teacher, it is necessary to first learn about our own styles, personalities, and confort zone. Once we are aware, and confident, of these personal characteristics, our style will adapt easier to the classroom personality. 

When I got the opportunity to start teaching, it was a last minute invitation. This rush in the getting things ready for joining the university faculty did not give me time to think about my teaching techniques. I remember that after turning in the required documentations, I only had time for reviewing the material I was going to teach, figuring it out, the classroom location and running to class. This sudden opportunity helped me to start teaching in my own natural way, without poses or forced techniques. This resulted in a an honest teaching approach.

However, honest does not mean efficient. In my particular case, I soon realized that the different classes had their own personalities, and like with our daily interactions, we must adapt to the way we interact and communicate with these different personalities. And it is here, where all of these techniques and strategies become useful. It is not about changing our honest ways of teaching, but about adapting it for an efficient interaction with the different classrooms’ personalities.

What is the most important aspect for the educator? Is it the high grads that students archived, the teaching philosophy, or the success for students? Educator is not a prophet.It is hard for them to know what will happen in future. In my opinion, the purpose for the educator is to create a comfortable environment for students to learn, and training them to gain knowledge in various methods.

Based on the Chinese culture, the definition of the teacher is one who passes on the truth, imparts knowledge and solves puzzles. Students highly respect teachers, no distinction should be made between the noble and the humble or between the young and the old. Where lies the truth, there is a teacher. To be a good teacher is a challenge for the educator. First of all. In the class, the teacher explains the strategies to students. It gives students enough space to arrange study plan. I hate the emergency works. I know most of the people do like it. It is an opportunity for the students to understand now important in the schedule. Even in the class. Well-organized the workflow in the class and the coherence between each class is not only improve the efficiency during the study time but also as an example for students to show how to learn.

Besides, to build an academic and comfortable study atmosphere is a positive approach for students in learning. Especially in the art and design class. Sometimes, when the students present they have no idea about the projects. Then the teacher needs to rethink profoundly the teaching method. Is the student follow the teaching step? Or maybe they need more example to broaden horizon and support. In the art and design class, the easiest part is to teach the technical skills, like how to use the software in 2-D and/or 3-D as a tool for drawing. To prepare what you want to show and drawing in the software is the hardest part, which is the create section. Students have the limit study time in class and teachers have a very short time along with the students. Then, in my class, I will spend most of the time focus on how to gain knowledge. It is the same mean of ” Give a man a fish and he can ear for a day. Teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.”

The teacher will never always with students. training students how to learn and gain knowledge for the life is the advanced task for the educator. Learning for people around us, like the classmates, friends, and families is the ability to explore and gain knowledge in the ordinary lifetime that I will highlight and teaching students in the class. During the study time, the teacher enables to guide and give comments and suggestions for the student but never instead the students think and organized the study plan. I will encourage all the students not only following the steps of the teacher but also need to do in advanced.