Appreciating My Education

     As a student of education, I have increasingly recognized the contrast between my formal learning experiences and current, recommended practices in the field of education. My middle and high school classes with a few exceptions consisted of tedious lectures, excessive note-taking, countless essays and short-answer questions, and tests that relied heavily on memorization. Despite these passive pedagogical approaches, I enjoyed most subjects especially English and history. The only course that I did not particularly like was math because it was difficult for me rather than because of negative teaching practices.

     Unfortunately, I can recollect several disappointing teachers who never spoke to me individually or even demeaned me as a student. But within my memories, other teachers remain as inspirational role models that motivated me to learn. A middle school English class, algebra two and trigonometry, American history, and a high school humanities class still represent my favorites. The teachers in these courses stand out as remarkable for several reasons. All four established personal connections with me, offering personal and positive feedback in both oral and written forms. They also revealed their own humanity, sharing about their families and college experiences so that we could connect with them as individuals. My humanities teacher was one of the only educators who ever facilitated active, engaging small group discussions about texts, effectively communicating the value of my contributions and providing me and my classmates a format to explore and elaborate on our ideas. These teachers also used humor and personal anecdotes to make their lectures more interesting. My English and humanities teachers selected high-quality, challenging texts that interested me, but my love of reading probably emerged from my discussions with my father at home about what I was reading at school. Interestingly, although I genuinely disdained math, my teacher for two years was undoubtedly the best educator of my secondary career because of the explicit instruction that she provided. Her philosophy was “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” She sat dutifully at her overhead projector day after day, walking us through detailed explanations of algebraic equations, making us practice together in class, and demonstrating how to correct our errors. She understood the difficulty of the content, and she patiently supported us as learners through repetition and modeling.

     Like my best teachers, I want to develop and demonstrate personal interest in each of my students. High-quality literature characterized by good writing, imagery, and subject matter will likewise be part of my teaching, and I increasingly recognize the need to provide materials that connect with my students’ interests and styles. From my extraordinary math teacher, I recognize the power of scaffolding and modeling, and I will employ those in my teaching too. My students will also work together in groups, and they will have the freedom to make choices at times in their work and text selections. These were privileges that I did not often enjoy as a student though I often desired them. Most importantly, I want to be a teacher who can motivate my students even when I have to offer corrective feedback or address misbehavior. Those special teachers from my memories knew how to convey care, acceptance, and levity even when I talked too much or tried to read during class. Another pedagogical commitment that has evolved from my experience is instruction and practice with process writing. Although I wrote frequently for my high courses, I actually received limited instruction on how to write and revise, and timed writing assignments remain particularly stressful for me. I want writing to become a pleasurable and rewarding activity for my students, even when they have to write in class or on exams.

     I appreciate my education in middle and high school because I read excellent texts, I wrote often, I acquired good study skills, and I was prepared for further education. At the same time, I recognize deficits in the instructional strategies that were commonplace in secondary schools then. I hope to develop the qualities of those effective teachers while adopting practices that are more equitable and engaging for all learners.