Unit E emphasizes the personal benefits of becoming an effective teacher and explains the difference between a teacher and a professional educator. "A professional," the Wongs say, "is defined not by the business a person is in, but by the way a person does business." A professional educator, they note, says, "What do I need to know in order to do what I need to do?"
Once again, the Wongs' advice is based on specific techniques, rather than educational buzzwords. To be a professional educator, they say, teachers must "constantly learn and grow."
How do you see their advice impacting you as a teacher? Respond and comment on at least two other classmate responses.
The Sanskrit word "adhikara" means "eligibility or authority by conduct and temperament to perform a particular kind of work". In other words, we must constantly remain students in order to be effective teachers. The world (and hopefully the educational system, soon) is constantly evolving. Teachers have to keep learning so they do not burn our their limited storehouse of knowledge, and so they serve their students most effectively. We must continue to study so that we do not become stagnant in our practice or in our teaching. If we do not continue to seek, to ask questions, find examples, and expand our understanding than we do not set a good example and we cannot help others do the same.
ReplyDeleteI love that Wong says that biggest secret to teaching success is to beg borrow and steal! There are so many teachers out there with great ideas who are creative and have tried and true experience in the classroom. As a new teacher …well even as a student teacher I am constantly searching for ideas and working at developing my own. While some ideas I’ve not yet developed the courage to try for fear of not implementing them correctly I have attempted to my the content I’m am teaching relevant to the my students lives.
ReplyDeleteIf you plan on making a teaching a career your desire to learn and grow in this profession cannot stop at graduation. It must become a part of you who are and want to be as a teacher to remain current on the latest research concerning the classroom, how students learn and on your content as a secondary teacher. Further if you as a teacher wish to stay relevant you must be aware of what the leaders in your profession are discussing. Wong also talks about being a teacher-leader [being knowledgeable] in the field yourself whether. To become a leader you need to develop a vision or a set of goals for yourself. Developing a professional community of individuals in your field with whom you can exchange ideas and so forth with will be vital to a teacher’s professional growth.
Response to Leah: Leah, I know for a fact that both us truly love learning and plan on continuing to do so through our professionally and personally. Just as medical breakthroughs are constantly being made in the medical and scientific fields, so are being made in the educational fields. Teachers can be afraid to try new instructional techniques or become unwilling to expand their current philosophies on teaching. Furthermore, secondary teachers should expect to hone their craft by reading up on all the latest reading material relating to their teaching content.
The final unit deals with growing professionally once we have entered the teaching business. The portion that really stuck with me is the section about students that have come back years later and told their teachers about the considerable influence that they have had on their lives. While the story in the text was a bit corny, I do believe that this is the true reward of teaching. I want to know that I had a positive impact on the lives of others. That is the reason that I got into this profession in the first place and, as I embark upon my first teaching job, this will always be what I strive for. Congratulations to all of my fellow student teachers (and soon to be teaching peers). It has been a long, hard journey but we have made it and I look forward to working with many of you in the future. Cheers!
ReplyDelete@ Leah
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! Teaching has changed so much even in the short time since I graduated high school in 2000. I did my senior project on how to use Powerpoint in the classroom, something that no one did when I was in school. Nowadays, it is a very common practice and I would be lost in a classroom without my laptop. If we are not willing to learn and adapt, we will be left behind.
@ Belinda
Beg, borrow, and steal is the name of the game. I told Mr. R that as a "going away present" I want every bit of his materials on my flash drive. Every activity, packet, and test bank will be of immense help to me as I begin to plan a classroom of my own for the first time. Much of my preparation even for my student teaching lessons has come from reading the blogs and websites of fellow psychology teachers. There are too many good resources out there for us to ignore them. Hopefully one day I will be a contributor to these as well, but right now I am happy that I can at least be a leech!
As the child of a career military father, I've always been taught, "it's not what you do, it's how you do it". I equated this saying with what the Wongs were trying to convey in this unit in that being a professional is constant and required to be an effective educator. Taking in upon yourself to ask questions, seek out advice, and develop your technique is a requirement of the profession, not a "feel good" way thinking you've done enough. Not doing these things doesn't just hurt your ability to teach and lead, it also destroys any opportunity for you to help a student advance his/her modes of operating and stunts their ability to problem solve.
ReplyDelete@ Leah
Stagnant is a dirty word in my house. You must always move forward and keep an eye on what you're doing. If you are standing still, then you're not doing your job to the best of your ability.
@ John
I hope to have an experience like you described. I can think of no other reward as great as former students letting you know that you had a large influence on their station in life.
John:
ReplyDeleteI love that phrase "Beg, Borrow and Steal!" As a new teacher I'll be doing plenty of that in order to build my teaching toolbox. Teachers have to be able to have access to multiple resources and even more know how to use those resources once they have acquired them. Being able to recognize teachers who are resourceful and finding outside sources make a difference in the classroom.
As educators is important for us to also continue to be students. Teachers should always be up to date with their subject area and new teaching techniques. Wong states in the book that the human mind is the original PC. He says “The effective teacher is always thinking, dreaming, and planning. Your future happiness and career success depends on your ability to implement techniques and your capacity to grow with new ideas.” This statement only impacts me as a teacher, it is a power statement and this is the kind of teacher that I hope to become.
ReplyDelete@Leah I agree that teacher must continue to learn so we can better serve our students. It is also important to continue to learn because as a teacher we don’t want the students to know more about our content than we do.
@Belinda I like that comment about beg, borrow, and steal. I have heard several teachers say that. I want to be one of those teachers that always keep the students on their toes wondering what I am going to teach next.
As a future teacher, I do believe myself to be a lifetime learner. It is important for all of us to understand that once we do get a job, it doesn't stop there. We have to develop ourselves for our students. As new technologies develop, students are becoming smarter and smarter. It is important for teachers to also jump on the bandwagon. We need to learn these ideas if not faster and before students.
ReplyDeleteProfessional development increases our knowledge about new innovations and it also can open our eyes to different ways of completing a task. Educators need to grow and change their ways inorder to stay professional and still be respected inside and outside the classroom environment.
I sincerely agree with their advice. It is very important to continue our education in order to completely educate a child. If we as teachers keep the same old yellowed notes and stand at the front of the room and lecture from those old notes, then students will gain no knowledge in our classrooms, nor will they enjoy being in our classrooms which will shut them off to the idea of learning. It is important to gain valuable information about education because students learn and evolve throughout the years and we do not learn the same way today that we learned fifteen years ago.
ReplyDeleteBelinda, Beg, borrow and steal, I love this idea. I am a crafter and that is how I learn how to make some of my crafts, by “borrowing” ideas. This is also important in the classroom. I do not see any problem with borrowing ideas from an effective classroom teacher. In turn, this could help mold us into effective classroom teachers.
John, I also want to know that I have a positive impact on the lives of others. It is important that we do have a positive impact on the lives of children because they are with their teachers for the majority of the day. We can have not only an impact on their educational lives but on their personal lives as well. You never know how your words or actions can inspire a child to become their very best. A positive, encouraging teacher can move mountains when it comes to children.
Brooke,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some really good points. I know many teachers that still teach they way they have taught for the past 20 years. What is worse is when teachers use the same test every year without changing up some of the questions. It is important to change and evolve with our students because the students change with every class that comes through. Times change and so do the topics we teach about. New strategies arise and it is important they we as educators take on these new challenges as they come.
Beg borrow and steal definitely sounds like me. I am always asking others for more information. I also ask to borrow things if I feel it will help my students grasp material. I have also begged my students for just a little bit of their time and I will teach them something they will never forget. I am also not afraid to great teachers ideas in the classroom because it is not about us as teachers it is about the
ReplyDeletestudents.
@Megan I really believe it is important to be a lifetime learner. If a person is not they will fall behind. It will also cause your students to lose respect for you
@justin I agree that people will respect anyone who carries out their job as a professional. I think the way a person conducts themselves on the job is a huge testament to the kind of person you are. Most people will remember not what you did but how you conducted yourself doing it.
CHOOSE. This is the word that defines a leader. CHOOSE. This is the word that separates a leader from a follower. There are numerous points that this unit made that I found extremely important for all teachers to take to heart. As teachers, we should constantly be growing and learning more. An effective teacher should be unique, and he or she should make education a lifetime pursuit. One thing I really love is that as the teacher, "I am the Difference. I am the Determiner of Success." Wong says that what we choose to believe is what we choose to become. Now that I am a teacher, I must be willing to learn and create a culture where learning is at the forefront. My main goal as a teacher should be to create a consistent classroom in which learning can take place. I am excited about having my own classroom in which I can implement all of these things that we have learned. I love the idea of having the freedom to experiment with my own class and finding the best teacher practices that suit me and my students. I will be a leader, and I will be the difference in all of my students' lives.
ReplyDeleteDeacon, my cooperating teacher told me the exact same thing… Beg, borrow, and steal. I think it is great that you are so open to greeting other teachers and their ideas. Although some of the veteran teachers may not be up to date with technology, they do have experience, and I know we can learn so much from them. I will definitely adopt this same idea, and I am constantly looking for better ways to encourage my students and get them interested.
ReplyDeleteMegan, I completely agree that teachers must find a way to stay ahead of the students. While it is great that students can also teach the teachers, it is even better when the teachers already know about the new technologies and can implement them into the curriculum. I know students learn better with the use of technology, and I am definitely a supporter of technology in the classroom. I also agree that we must participate in professional development to keep learning new ways of teaching and interacting with our students. Teachers must always be learners, and we must never forget this fact.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s important to develop my teaching skills through workshops, literature for teaching, and other ways the Wongs describe. Being a teacher encompasses so much that it’s imperative for teachers to improve their abilities to help students learn by learning as much as they can to improve their teaching skills. Like the Wongs say, “The professional educator chooses to always learn and grow” (314). By becoming teacher-leaders, teachers express how they care and are fully dedicated to the success of their students. By doing so, they are inspiring their students to strive to do their best. Therefore, I plan to participate in any workshops offered and to subscribe to literature aimed at teachers, especially in my content area.
ReplyDeleteJohn:
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing about that story. I thought to myself, “Are these the exact words they used in this conversation?” It read more like they had written each other than said that to one another, but the point remains the same. Teachers can have such a valuable influence on students. These influences can either be positive or negative. Like you, I hope to have a positive influence on my students, and in order to do so, I have to improve upon my teaching skills and strive to be a teacher-leader.
Congrats to you as well!
Megan:
You’re right that we have to stay updated on the way our students learn best and to develop our teaching skills further. We need to stay up-to-date on new ways to implement our lessons that can be interrelated to our students’ everyday lives.
The Wongs provide solid advice to educators to constantly learn and grow. They are also correct in their assessment that being a professional is more about how a person goes about their business and not the business that they do. By deciding to be a career educator means that you must be as much of a learner as you expect your students to be. A teacher leads by example and if the teacher is not actively engaged in learning and growing then it will be inauthentic to encourage students to engage in learning. I see the continued development as an educator to be a major responsibility of a teacher. Numerous teaches have years of experience with thousands of students. Teachers must use one another as a resource to discover what works and what doesn’t work in the classroom. A teacher must also find out different resources to increase his or her repertoire of skills. Also, I look at it as I have been in the teacher education program for a couple of years. Hopefully, I will be teaching much longer than a couple of years. It would be a very bad practice to think that I have learned it all in such a short time. As I learn more and have more experiences, I must be constantly re examining my beliefs and approach to education to help find the best practice to ensure students’ success. Being a professional educator means a life of constantly learning and growing in order to become a better teacher.
ReplyDeleteLeah,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through the posts I am drawn to your comments. One thing that I have enjoyed in doing my methods course and student teaching has been learning for my students. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable, but once you get over the "Ok, how am I going to explain this to kids" it is kind of freeing and provides me motivation to learn more about different topics to get the students engaged. Also, using different technology is important. We probably would not go to a dentist who was using technology and tools from the 1960s and 1970s.
Jamie Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you positive summation of the Wongs' book. It is something to keep in mind when life starts happening our main goal is just to get to the end of the day, week, or semester. By having larger goals can help teacher stay motivated and provide a more positive experience for the students. And you are right, it starts with the teacher and the teacher must be aware of his or her power as a leader in the classroom.
As people we are constantly growing and learning new things. As an educator this is definitely true. Teachers should be open to all learning possibilities especially if it will benefit our students. I was able to go to a training during my student teaching and it was wonderful all of the new information I learned and can use in my future classroom. It is always a positive thing to do as long as your are learning.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, always imporoving your teaching skills is definitely not a negative thing. The more skills and ideas you can bring to your students the more positive impact you will have on your students' education.
Deacon, I so like the beg, borrow and steal idea as well. In my student teaching experience, my CT had some great resources that I can use in my own classroom. I believe that if you bring something new and enjoyable to the classroom you will not go wrong with teaching your students. They love to learn.
Unit E: Future Understandings -- The Professional (How to cope with the years still ahead of you and retire with dignity)
ReplyDeleteTo be a professional educator, they say, teachers must "constantly learn and grow."
I really liked this unit because it is very relevant to what we need to know as future educator. I understand that I am very new to the field of teaching, and I am not going to act like I have it all figured out. There are many educators out there that have a lot of great ideas, and great advice for teachers that are just entering the field. I think that it is very important that teachers that are just entering the field to ask questions, seek advice, and develop our technique. It is very important that teachers remain students and learn new, better techniques that changes for the betterment of the students.
As with everything I think that education is always changing for the better, new technology has enabled teacher to make the educational process more productive to students than ever before. It is important that new teachers use this new technology in a way that benefits the students. I am sure than in next few years there will be new and better technology that teachers will need to use to stay up to date with the students.
@ Belinda
Beg, Borrow, and Steal: I really like this, and this is something that new teachers should definitely do to make them better teachers. There are millions of great idea’s out there if you just look for them.
@ Kendra
I like that you used the word “Evolve” as teachers. I think that you hit the nail on the head that teachers should always be trying to better themselves through any way possible. I think that continuing to be students will go along way with this idea.