Summer Reflection
There is an old saying that in order to be a great leader you must first be a good follower. I say in order to be a great teacher you must be able to be a good student. These past few weeks I have been a good student. Only time will tell if I become a great teacher. I came into the Wipro Urban STEM project with great expectations and great curiosity. I thought it might be fun and I might learn somethings. Silly boy. I greatly under estimated the project. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I will now recount my experiences of the program and also try to predict what impact the program will have on me as an educator.
Looking Back
The first day was really an exciting day for me. I remember being really glad to be a part of the program and sitting in the room. Also, it had been at least twenty years since I had been back inside a Loyola University classroom. I must admit on day one, I surpassed my personal boundaries and was really excited. First, I was introduced to Twitter. I never thought or felt the need for a Twitter account. I remember thinking, “If my family could see me now.” I really thought I would never take the plunge, but I did. Second, I created a Facebook account. My kids would really laugh at me. I had proclaimed that “I will never be on social media.” I was wrong. At the end of the day I thought “Today is day 1 of the program. What boundaries will I eclipse tomorrow?”
Eventually, I was required to make a personal website. This was really a scary task for me at the start. Did I mention that I was not a social media person? Well now I am. Another boundary expanded.
The next few day were really impactful for me as a person and me as an educator. I loved the daily “World of Wonders”. They were really informative, creative and most importantly, they did make me wonder. They made me feel like there are so many things in the world that might go unnoticed but if we, I mean humans, take a little time out of our busy lives, they are fascinating, beautiful, and can provide insight into our world. Next, the daily Tech Tips were informative and really useful in this STEM world of ours. I loved the fact the tips were put on Storify because I doubt that I would be able to remember most of them otherwise. I have made a promise to myself to take some time a go through all of the Tech Tips to see which ones I will incorporate frequently into my own life.
Periodically we would have to do a “Quick Fire”. They would require teamwork, technological savvy, and imagination. I provided the teamwork. One of the “quick fires” was we had to make a stop motion video. The concept my group used was the planets revolving around the Sun. I was happy to be a part of my group when we had completed it and posted it. There were other quick fires just as challenging that took teamwork to complete and pushed our boundaries in one way or another. I like “quick fires”.
One day an Improv instructor came to teach us. It was different for me. Why? Because I am usually a laid back reserved person. It is impossible to be laid back and do Improv. Of course I had a good time taking part in the skits and observing other educators, or should I say adults, being playful and having a good time in an educational setting. Hmmm, I may be on to something.
At the end of each day, we would meet in a big classroom and do some activities and reflect. We would be dismissed right after we were shown a video clip. A perfect way to end a class I thought.
I feel I learned a lot this summer. Some of what I have learned I have stated above. Some I will address in the ‘Looking Forward’ section. These experiences were new to me because in my mind, I was not, nor would I ever be a social media person. I was wrong and to be honest, I am glad I was wrong. Learning is fun. Especially when it is facilitated by good instruction.
Looking Forward
Now, being a teacher how can I “harvest” what I have learned and use it. First, I loved the pacing of the class. I initially thought that the pace was too fast and didn’t give us enough time to reflect. I latter realized the pacing was perfect and was meant to keep us engaged and active. We did not have a chance to get off track. Pacing is critical in any teaching environment because once a student is off track, they are usually lost for the rest of the period in a high school setting.
Next, the readings we were assigned. They were really thought provoking and I feel accomplished two goals. First, they deepened my understanding of pedagogical concepts and made me think about what kind of teacher will I ultimately become. Second, they allowed for some rich discussions and gave all the educators in the room the opportunity to hear different point of views and some unique insights. On more than one occasion I viewed a reading differently after it was discussed in class. Thus, the readings gave all the teachers/students in the room the opportunity to hear what their peers were thinking and the option of changing their own opinions about the topic being discussed or cementing their own opinions by a majority consensus.
Finally, the instructors of the program. They were masterful in the art of teaching in my opinion. They all had great knowledge of their content. They had a great passion for teaching. They also had great energy during their instruction. These three traits are absolutely necessary in order to be an accomplished teacher. I will always be mindful of their day to day interactions with my peers and myself. In trying to continue to grow as a teacher I must access where I am and where I want to go or grow as a teacher. I feel, like most of my peers, I have the content knowledge. I feel I have a passion for teaching. I must always be mindful to bring the energy it takes to be an effective teacher. I feel they were masterful in placing us in collaborative groups. We were dependent and responsible for each other and ourselves. We were allowed the auto many to choose our own roles within the group. Which allowed us to be dependent and independent in completing our tasks.
I have never seen such masterful teaching in my short career as a teacher or as a student. I will always remember their interactions with their students and hope that I can one day attain their level of mastery in the art of teaching. I know for a fact this summer I have been a good student. I hope my premise is correct and it translates into me being a great teacher.
There is an old saying that in order to be a great leader you must first be a good follower. I say in order to be a great teacher you must be able to be a good student. These past few weeks I have been a good student. Only time will tell if I become a great teacher. I came into the Wipro Urban STEM project with great expectations and great curiosity. I thought it might be fun and I might learn somethings. Silly boy. I greatly under estimated the project. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. I will now recount my experiences of the program and also try to predict what impact the program will have on me as an educator.
Looking Back
The first day was really an exciting day for me. I remember being really glad to be a part of the program and sitting in the room. Also, it had been at least twenty years since I had been back inside a Loyola University classroom. I must admit on day one, I surpassed my personal boundaries and was really excited. First, I was introduced to Twitter. I never thought or felt the need for a Twitter account. I remember thinking, “If my family could see me now.” I really thought I would never take the plunge, but I did. Second, I created a Facebook account. My kids would really laugh at me. I had proclaimed that “I will never be on social media.” I was wrong. At the end of the day I thought “Today is day 1 of the program. What boundaries will I eclipse tomorrow?”
Eventually, I was required to make a personal website. This was really a scary task for me at the start. Did I mention that I was not a social media person? Well now I am. Another boundary expanded.
The next few day were really impactful for me as a person and me as an educator. I loved the daily “World of Wonders”. They were really informative, creative and most importantly, they did make me wonder. They made me feel like there are so many things in the world that might go unnoticed but if we, I mean humans, take a little time out of our busy lives, they are fascinating, beautiful, and can provide insight into our world. Next, the daily Tech Tips were informative and really useful in this STEM world of ours. I loved the fact the tips were put on Storify because I doubt that I would be able to remember most of them otherwise. I have made a promise to myself to take some time a go through all of the Tech Tips to see which ones I will incorporate frequently into my own life.
Periodically we would have to do a “Quick Fire”. They would require teamwork, technological savvy, and imagination. I provided the teamwork. One of the “quick fires” was we had to make a stop motion video. The concept my group used was the planets revolving around the Sun. I was happy to be a part of my group when we had completed it and posted it. There were other quick fires just as challenging that took teamwork to complete and pushed our boundaries in one way or another. I like “quick fires”.
One day an Improv instructor came to teach us. It was different for me. Why? Because I am usually a laid back reserved person. It is impossible to be laid back and do Improv. Of course I had a good time taking part in the skits and observing other educators, or should I say adults, being playful and having a good time in an educational setting. Hmmm, I may be on to something.
At the end of each day, we would meet in a big classroom and do some activities and reflect. We would be dismissed right after we were shown a video clip. A perfect way to end a class I thought.
I feel I learned a lot this summer. Some of what I have learned I have stated above. Some I will address in the ‘Looking Forward’ section. These experiences were new to me because in my mind, I was not, nor would I ever be a social media person. I was wrong and to be honest, I am glad I was wrong. Learning is fun. Especially when it is facilitated by good instruction.
Looking Forward
Now, being a teacher how can I “harvest” what I have learned and use it. First, I loved the pacing of the class. I initially thought that the pace was too fast and didn’t give us enough time to reflect. I latter realized the pacing was perfect and was meant to keep us engaged and active. We did not have a chance to get off track. Pacing is critical in any teaching environment because once a student is off track, they are usually lost for the rest of the period in a high school setting.
Next, the readings we were assigned. They were really thought provoking and I feel accomplished two goals. First, they deepened my understanding of pedagogical concepts and made me think about what kind of teacher will I ultimately become. Second, they allowed for some rich discussions and gave all the educators in the room the opportunity to hear different point of views and some unique insights. On more than one occasion I viewed a reading differently after it was discussed in class. Thus, the readings gave all the teachers/students in the room the opportunity to hear what their peers were thinking and the option of changing their own opinions about the topic being discussed or cementing their own opinions by a majority consensus.
Finally, the instructors of the program. They were masterful in the art of teaching in my opinion. They all had great knowledge of their content. They had a great passion for teaching. They also had great energy during their instruction. These three traits are absolutely necessary in order to be an accomplished teacher. I will always be mindful of their day to day interactions with my peers and myself. In trying to continue to grow as a teacher I must access where I am and where I want to go or grow as a teacher. I feel, like most of my peers, I have the content knowledge. I feel I have a passion for teaching. I must always be mindful to bring the energy it takes to be an effective teacher. I feel they were masterful in placing us in collaborative groups. We were dependent and responsible for each other and ourselves. We were allowed the auto many to choose our own roles within the group. Which allowed us to be dependent and independent in completing our tasks.
I have never seen such masterful teaching in my short career as a teacher or as a student. I will always remember their interactions with their students and hope that I can one day attain their level of mastery in the art of teaching. I know for a fact this summer I have been a good student. I hope my premise is correct and it translates into me being a great teacher.