While some lectures put me right to sleep, there are some that keep me waiting to learn more. I get to experience this every other day of the week in my theory class.
Even though there is much theory talk during the hour, there are activities incorporated with the discussion. We get to sing, play on the piano, and listen to the people who like to be difficult have arguments with our professor...It is quite the class.
I really enjoy it overall for several reasons:
1. My professor is super awesome. She truly loves theory and loves teaching it to her students. She also has a really funny sense of humor....theory humor...it's the best!
2. I have friends that are in the class, and we get to have theory discussions. Well, mostly they have theory discussions and I pretend that I know what is going on.
3. The class is not just lecture based. There are always examples that go along with everything that is taught.
So there can be lectures that engage people. Most of the time, it depends on what the topic is and how much that interests each individual student.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Lecture #1
I believe that if the time goes by relatively fast during a lecture, then I must have found it somewhat engaging if not slightly enjoyable at points. I often times don't really care for lectures unless they pertain to a topic that I find interesting.
Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, I sit in class and listen to my professor lecture for an hour and a half. I just want to die some days. Ok, maybe I am being a bit dramatic. But I will honestly say that I do not enjoy going to that class. It's not because the teacher doesn't know her stuff, it is just that she doesn't present it in a way that is at all engaging.
Sometimes professors don't realize that they are not engaging their class with the lecture because it is a subject that they know so much about themselves, and so they are interested in what they are teaching.
While I don't always care for participating in class, I think that if this professor were to incorporate some sort of activity to go along with the lecture, it would keep my mind from wandering so much.
Lectures don't have to be a bore. Maybe being open for feedback about the lectures would give professors some insight into what they could possibly change to keep their students from zoning out.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Humility
Who likes to be wrong?? Umm, not me. When was the last time I was wrong? Never. Hahaha just kidding. But really, I can honestly admit that I was wrong at some moment today.
Even to this day, I am not a huge fan of answering a question in class. Why, you ask? Well, I am afraid to be wrong. Being wrong in front of the class is just downright embarrassing. Often times I actually know the answer, I just don't want to be "that" person who answers in class all the time, or someone else beats me to it. Sometimes I say the answer I think it right, and it actually turns out to be wrong....oops. Hence why I just sit back and listen to the same people time after time answering the questions asked.
I think there is a general fear instilled into student's minds that if they don't say the right answer in front of the class, they will be criticized by their peers. While this is not always the case, we are human after all. Yes, I judge people who say the wrong answer out loud. Why? Mostly because I am glad it wasn't me.
While some teachers are good about not making a student feel any more embarrassed than they already are, there is that one teacher who will call you out for making a mistake. I really do not care for those kind of teachers. Teachers should try and instill a sense of confidence into their students to participate in class. Encouraging students to try to contribute to the class even if they might say something wrong. Having this encouragement all throughout one's schooling would really help in their self-confidence...at least, it sure would have helped me!
Even to this day, I am not a huge fan of answering a question in class. Why, you ask? Well, I am afraid to be wrong. Being wrong in front of the class is just downright embarrassing. Often times I actually know the answer, I just don't want to be "that" person who answers in class all the time, or someone else beats me to it. Sometimes I say the answer I think it right, and it actually turns out to be wrong....oops. Hence why I just sit back and listen to the same people time after time answering the questions asked.
I think there is a general fear instilled into student's minds that if they don't say the right answer in front of the class, they will be criticized by their peers. While this is not always the case, we are human after all. Yes, I judge people who say the wrong answer out loud. Why? Mostly because I am glad it wasn't me.
While some teachers are good about not making a student feel any more embarrassed than they already are, there is that one teacher who will call you out for making a mistake. I really do not care for those kind of teachers. Teachers should try and instill a sense of confidence into their students to participate in class. Encouraging students to try to contribute to the class even if they might say something wrong. Having this encouragement all throughout one's schooling would really help in their self-confidence...at least, it sure would have helped me!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Efficacy
Self-awareness, confidence, persistence, work ethic, and belief in one's ability. Wow, that sure is quite a list. But a list of what? A list of different characteristics a teacher should have perhaps? I think yes.
All of these characteristics should be seen in all teachers. Why? Well let's think about each one.
Number 1: Self-awareness
I would hope that my teachers are aware of how they are teaching, how their teaching is affecting the students, what they can personally do to make their teaching better, etc.... This is a very important concept a teacher should be aware of. If they are not aware of themselves, how can they be aware of their students? Just saying.
Number 2: Confidence
A teacher that lacks confidence will be eaten alive. Seriously. Even if a teacher shows the tiniest bit of doubt in themselves, their students will pounce. I personally witnessed this in several of my teachers throughout high school. One in particular came to our school right out of college. She was very quiet and didn't know how to take control of the classroom in the beginning, and so was unable to really gain that control with the students without being challenged by the students. It was a sad sight to see, but it is a tough world out there in those public schools.
Number 3: Persistence
This is definitely something that a teacher should have. Being persistent that your students are learning the material that you are trying to teach will hopefully make an impact on them. Lots of times teachers just give up trying to teach a certain idea because either their students just aren't getting it or they don't really care. Don't give up!!!
Number 4: Work Ethic
Why be a teacher if you don't have a good work ethic? It is not always fun and games when teaching; there is work involved. I think that having a good work ethic doesn't mean you have to stick to your lesson plan entirely, but diverging away from the topic all the time can be pretty annoying and just make some things harder to learn. I also think that a good work ethic entails going to school to teach because you love it. I really dislike when teachers get to school as the bell rings in the morning and rush out of the school right as the bell rings to end the day. What kind of work ethic are you teaching your students to have? Not a very good one.
Number 5: Belief in one's ability
This is a major part of teaching. If you don't believe in your ability to teach, how do you expect your students to believe in your teaching? You really can't. So you better believe in yourself. :)
I know it kind of sucks to say, but if you don't already have most of these characteristics naturally, then time will hopefully help one to develop them. That is surely easier said that done, but once these attributes are a part of a teacher, there is really no reason why they shouldn't be successful!
All of these characteristics should be seen in all teachers. Why? Well let's think about each one.
Number 1: Self-awareness
I would hope that my teachers are aware of how they are teaching, how their teaching is affecting the students, what they can personally do to make their teaching better, etc.... This is a very important concept a teacher should be aware of. If they are not aware of themselves, how can they be aware of their students? Just saying.
Number 2: Confidence
A teacher that lacks confidence will be eaten alive. Seriously. Even if a teacher shows the tiniest bit of doubt in themselves, their students will pounce. I personally witnessed this in several of my teachers throughout high school. One in particular came to our school right out of college. She was very quiet and didn't know how to take control of the classroom in the beginning, and so was unable to really gain that control with the students without being challenged by the students. It was a sad sight to see, but it is a tough world out there in those public schools.
Number 3: Persistence
This is definitely something that a teacher should have. Being persistent that your students are learning the material that you are trying to teach will hopefully make an impact on them. Lots of times teachers just give up trying to teach a certain idea because either their students just aren't getting it or they don't really care. Don't give up!!!
Number 4: Work Ethic
Why be a teacher if you don't have a good work ethic? It is not always fun and games when teaching; there is work involved. I think that having a good work ethic doesn't mean you have to stick to your lesson plan entirely, but diverging away from the topic all the time can be pretty annoying and just make some things harder to learn. I also think that a good work ethic entails going to school to teach because you love it. I really dislike when teachers get to school as the bell rings in the morning and rush out of the school right as the bell rings to end the day. What kind of work ethic are you teaching your students to have? Not a very good one.
Number 5: Belief in one's ability
This is a major part of teaching. If you don't believe in your ability to teach, how do you expect your students to believe in your teaching? You really can't. So you better believe in yourself. :)
I know it kind of sucks to say, but if you don't already have most of these characteristics naturally, then time will hopefully help one to develop them. That is surely easier said that done, but once these attributes are a part of a teacher, there is really no reason why they shouldn't be successful!
Collaboration
Group work. Two words I often cringe at when spoken. I know I know, dramatic much? Well having been part of many group projects or activities in and out of the classroom, I know very well that there is always uneven contributions from each group member. While I am not always the one to necessarily take charge of the group, I make sure that I do my part in contributing to the group rather than just sit around and let everyone else do it.
What makes a group or team effective is when it truly is a group effort to get the project or assignment done. When everyone chips in and throws out ideas, rather than just letting one or two people take the reins and go with the flow. I think that is one big difference between group work and collaboration is that being collaborative to me means that everyone is willing to work together and pull their own weight. In group work, there always tends to be that pushover who takes control of the group and bosses everyone around. It's ok when you get to be the pushover, but sometimes it gets old being told what you are going to do and you better like it.
My overall view on being collaborative is that everyone is a piece of the puzzle. Each person gathers the information they are suppose to and once it is brought together, everything connects and the big picture finally makes sense. I know that this should be the case while in doing group work as well, but it never seems to work that way. It seems that people can be both collaborative and work in the group setting when they are with people they are comfortable with. I know I don't always like to speak up while in group settings for the fear of being wrong and being judged because of it.
While I say I don't really care for group work, I often times am thankful when there is group work while learning a particular idea that I don't understand. Being in a group and working together is a good way to learn from your peers and get their perspective about things.
Group work....I guess it is always going to be there. I suppose in the future I just have to make sure that I do my part in making it as collaborative and pain free as possible....we'll see how that works out!
What makes a group or team effective is when it truly is a group effort to get the project or assignment done. When everyone chips in and throws out ideas, rather than just letting one or two people take the reins and go with the flow. I think that is one big difference between group work and collaboration is that being collaborative to me means that everyone is willing to work together and pull their own weight. In group work, there always tends to be that pushover who takes control of the group and bosses everyone around. It's ok when you get to be the pushover, but sometimes it gets old being told what you are going to do and you better like it.
My overall view on being collaborative is that everyone is a piece of the puzzle. Each person gathers the information they are suppose to and once it is brought together, everything connects and the big picture finally makes sense. I know that this should be the case while in doing group work as well, but it never seems to work that way. It seems that people can be both collaborative and work in the group setting when they are with people they are comfortable with. I know I don't always like to speak up while in group settings for the fear of being wrong and being judged because of it.
While I say I don't really care for group work, I often times am thankful when there is group work while learning a particular idea that I don't understand. Being in a group and working together is a good way to learn from your peers and get their perspective about things.
Group work....I guess it is always going to be there. I suppose in the future I just have to make sure that I do my part in making it as collaborative and pain free as possible....we'll see how that works out!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
~InVeNtIvEnEsS~
Creativity and imagination seem to be things of the past these days. Many kids don't know how to use their imagination anymore. When I was younger, I was always outside with my sister making up silly games and stories that would last us hours.
It seems to me that as we grow older, our imagination and creativity is stifled by rubrics, specific guidelines, and grading. How does a teacher go about grading one's creativity and imagination? A lot of times, students grow discouraged when they turn in their work and they receive a lower grade than expected because it goes on the opinion of the teacher.
Encouraging creativity should be a vital part of teaching. Students should not have to follow as many guidelines as are required. By this, I am saying that there shouldn't always be step by step instructions on how to do every little project, assignment, or paper that is assigned. From personal experience when guidelines for any type of assignment to be handed in are typed out, I would only do what was required and not try to use my imagination to come up with anything elaborate.
By encouraging the use of one's imagination and being creative, you as a teacher are teaching students how to use these. While there is no way to teach creativity and the use of imagination, letting students come up with their own ways to do something will get their minds working. While all the ideas that students may come up with may not be what you would have said, there should always be encouragement. Even if there are silly ideas presented, calling a student out in front of their peers will lead them to stop using their imaginations and creativity.
Creativity is an essential skill to have in the 21st Century. Without creativity, life would be pretty boring. I know I wouldn't want to live in a world where people weren't creative, it would get old real fast.
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” ~George Bernard Shaw
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Reflectiveness
Why do most teachers and students find it so hard to reflect? Hmmm....that is a very good question.
Reflection is not something that everyone knows how to do. It is not something that is taught, but should be. Everyone should take some time, maybe not everyday, but once in awhile to really look back on what has been going on in their life. Often times we are so busy with our everyday lives that we don't give ourselves the chance to just stop and think; to ask yourself "why did I do that" or "how could I have made that situation better."
I know that it is often hard for me to reflect on my academics because I don't always like what I find. For example, if I get a mediocre score on a quiz and I take the time to reflect on why that may be, it is usually because I found something more important to do....This usually includes socializing until all hours of the night, cleaning my room, or just putting off my studies because I just need a break. Reflection often makes me more upset with myself when I see how my priorities are most often not in the right order.
In my opinion, reflection is highly essential in teaching. Teachers need to be able to look back on how their day went and be able to really find out what worked or didn't work. Reflection is a key way to improve one's teaching in their classroom. Reflection is also essential for students as well. Having them take the time to look at their academic path could very well help many to make changes necessary for good academic growth.
When you take the time to stop and really think about your previous actions, you may notice that not everything may be going in the direction that you want. If this becomes a habit, it may help one to become more sure about their decisions and what direction they want any aspect of their life to go.
Reflection is not something that everyone knows how to do. It is not something that is taught, but should be. Everyone should take some time, maybe not everyday, but once in awhile to really look back on what has been going on in their life. Often times we are so busy with our everyday lives that we don't give ourselves the chance to just stop and think; to ask yourself "why did I do that" or "how could I have made that situation better."
I know that it is often hard for me to reflect on my academics because I don't always like what I find. For example, if I get a mediocre score on a quiz and I take the time to reflect on why that may be, it is usually because I found something more important to do....This usually includes socializing until all hours of the night, cleaning my room, or just putting off my studies because I just need a break. Reflection often makes me more upset with myself when I see how my priorities are most often not in the right order.
In my opinion, reflection is highly essential in teaching. Teachers need to be able to look back on how their day went and be able to really find out what worked or didn't work. Reflection is a key way to improve one's teaching in their classroom. Reflection is also essential for students as well. Having them take the time to look at their academic path could very well help many to make changes necessary for good academic growth.
When you take the time to stop and really think about your previous actions, you may notice that not everything may be going in the direction that you want. If this becomes a habit, it may help one to become more sure about their decisions and what direction they want any aspect of their life to go.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Passion
Some teachers have it, some teachers don't. There has been many times that I have been in a class that I would have enjoyed much more had the teacher really loved teaching.
From personal experience, the teachers that made me dislike certain subjects in school did not put teaching first. They were more concerned in coaching our below average sports teams. This made me very sad for not only my education, but every other student's future education as well.
Even though there are those teachers who would rather be any where else than in a classroom, there are the teachers who were made to teach. They love everything about teaching. They love the subject they teach, they enjoy teaching the material to students, and they will always take the time to answer any questions. They want to make sure you succeed, not fail.
I personally have always loved math, and I was actually not too bad at it. Throughout high school I had three different math teachers. Their teaching styles were drastically different. My math 1 and 2 teacher was the sweetest teacher I have ever had. She was always smiling and very soft spoken. Anyone could tell you that she loved math and was very passionate about teaching it to students. My math 3 teacher was a different story. Although it was fairly obvious that he was really passionate about math in general, he was one of the worst teachers ever. His teaching style just didn't work well for me and a lot of the times he wasn't very good at relating the information to us in a way that connected. There were many times that we had to teach ourselves the lesson or get help from the other math teachers. After taking several classes from him, I really didn't want to pursue any of the higher math courses, but when it came to scheduling for the next year I saw that he wouldn't be the teacher and so I decided to give it a try.
I am so glad that I did. My math 4 and 5 teacher was the best teacher ever. Although he was the really nerdy, I love math so much type of teacher, he made math easy. He knew how to connect with the students with his very silly math jokes and outrageous math music during work time. He was so passionate about teaching math, it was insane. He wanted his students to ask him questions; wanted them to understand. He asked me what I wanted to do regarding college, and made sure to check the college's requirements to make sure I took enough higher level classes in high school. He encouraged me to go take calculus during senior year, and took the time before, during lunch, and after school to help me with any questions I had. And trust me, I sure had questions about calculus....ugh! To this day, I still consider him one of my favorite teachers.
I truly believe that if teachers don't have passion for what they do, it will affect their students and their enthusiasm to learn.
From personal experience, the teachers that made me dislike certain subjects in school did not put teaching first. They were more concerned in coaching our below average sports teams. This made me very sad for not only my education, but every other student's future education as well.
Even though there are those teachers who would rather be any where else than in a classroom, there are the teachers who were made to teach. They love everything about teaching. They love the subject they teach, they enjoy teaching the material to students, and they will always take the time to answer any questions. They want to make sure you succeed, not fail.
I personally have always loved math, and I was actually not too bad at it. Throughout high school I had three different math teachers. Their teaching styles were drastically different. My math 1 and 2 teacher was the sweetest teacher I have ever had. She was always smiling and very soft spoken. Anyone could tell you that she loved math and was very passionate about teaching it to students. My math 3 teacher was a different story. Although it was fairly obvious that he was really passionate about math in general, he was one of the worst teachers ever. His teaching style just didn't work well for me and a lot of the times he wasn't very good at relating the information to us in a way that connected. There were many times that we had to teach ourselves the lesson or get help from the other math teachers. After taking several classes from him, I really didn't want to pursue any of the higher math courses, but when it came to scheduling for the next year I saw that he wouldn't be the teacher and so I decided to give it a try.
I am so glad that I did. My math 4 and 5 teacher was the best teacher ever. Although he was the really nerdy, I love math so much type of teacher, he made math easy. He knew how to connect with the students with his very silly math jokes and outrageous math music during work time. He was so passionate about teaching math, it was insane. He wanted his students to ask him questions; wanted them to understand. He asked me what I wanted to do regarding college, and made sure to check the college's requirements to make sure I took enough higher level classes in high school. He encouraged me to go take calculus during senior year, and took the time before, during lunch, and after school to help me with any questions I had. And trust me, I sure had questions about calculus....ugh! To this day, I still consider him one of my favorite teachers.
I truly believe that if teachers don't have passion for what they do, it will affect their students and their enthusiasm to learn.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Authenticity
Oh the power of authenticity. A teacher really does needs to have authenticity while teaching their students, but it definitely shouldn't be forced effort on the teacher's part because students are pretty darn good at picking up on teachers who "fake" it.
Just thinking about the teachers from high school reminds me of the range of teaching styles. There are two teachers that really stick out. They are two very different people who had quite the teaching styles, and both happened to be English teachers. For this story we will call them Teacher A and Teacher B.
So teacher A had a very outgoing personality and was very friendly towards students. I had always wanted to have her for a teacher because it seemed like her classes were really fun and stress free. I finally had a class with her in my sophomore year of high school. She was very personable and was always laughing at one thing or another. Her classroom was set up very much so to her personality. There were concert tee-shirts hanging on the wall, an Eiffel tower in the back corner of the room, lots of superman paraphernalia every which way you looked, and lots of pictures of her and her previous students here and there. But once the class started and was settling into a routine, I noticed that just because she was fun and quirky all the time didn't mean she was necessarily a good teacher. Often times, she would get sick of what we were suppose to be learning, so on many occasions we ended up watching Ninja Warriors for most of the class periods. Not to say that I didn't mind not being productive, but after so much of this nonsense I actually wanted to learn about grammar! Over time it became obvious to me that Teacher A lacked a lot of self-confidence and tried to make up for that by putting more effort into being liked by the students. This was very frustrating to me and many other students as well. Yes the class was an easy A, but it was a waste of time that could have been put to better use. Putting on an act is not a good quality in a teacher. Teachers can have fun and be themselves, but there is a point when it can get in the way of actually teaching the content.
Now for Teacher B, his main goal was to make sure kids came out of his class with tools needed to succeed not only in higher level high school classes, but college as well. He had a very outgoing personality as well and quite a crude sense of humor. While he liked to have fun and joke around, he wasn't afraid to give out bad grades to anyone. He knew what he wanted his students to learn and he didn't put up with slacking. Sometimes his sense of humor was not liked by every one, but when he figured out his humor was bothering someone he would apologize and stop. I think this is something a teacher has to be aware of as well. They have to know when to stop in certain situations. Teacher B was always open to questions as well. He wanted students to ask. He truly was an authentic teacher without taking it too far.
Being your own person is definitely something to strive for in the classroom, but one may or may not have to change slightly to benefit all in their classroom.
So teacher A had a very outgoing personality and was very friendly towards students. I had always wanted to have her for a teacher because it seemed like her classes were really fun and stress free. I finally had a class with her in my sophomore year of high school. She was very personable and was always laughing at one thing or another. Her classroom was set up very much so to her personality. There were concert tee-shirts hanging on the wall, an Eiffel tower in the back corner of the room, lots of superman paraphernalia every which way you looked, and lots of pictures of her and her previous students here and there. But once the class started and was settling into a routine, I noticed that just because she was fun and quirky all the time didn't mean she was necessarily a good teacher. Often times, she would get sick of what we were suppose to be learning, so on many occasions we ended up watching Ninja Warriors for most of the class periods. Not to say that I didn't mind not being productive, but after so much of this nonsense I actually wanted to learn about grammar! Over time it became obvious to me that Teacher A lacked a lot of self-confidence and tried to make up for that by putting more effort into being liked by the students. This was very frustrating to me and many other students as well. Yes the class was an easy A, but it was a waste of time that could have been put to better use. Putting on an act is not a good quality in a teacher. Teachers can have fun and be themselves, but there is a point when it can get in the way of actually teaching the content.
Now for Teacher B, his main goal was to make sure kids came out of his class with tools needed to succeed not only in higher level high school classes, but college as well. He had a very outgoing personality as well and quite a crude sense of humor. While he liked to have fun and joke around, he wasn't afraid to give out bad grades to anyone. He knew what he wanted his students to learn and he didn't put up with slacking. Sometimes his sense of humor was not liked by every one, but when he figured out his humor was bothering someone he would apologize and stop. I think this is something a teacher has to be aware of as well. They have to know when to stop in certain situations. Teacher B was always open to questions as well. He wanted students to ask. He truly was an authentic teacher without taking it too far.
Being your own person is definitely something to strive for in the classroom, but one may or may not have to change slightly to benefit all in their classroom.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Compassion
There seems to be a few teachers that just have a gift. The gift of connecting with their students and being there for their students at any time, a sense of compassion. So of course, I do have a story to show how the compassion of a former teacher really made an impact on my life.
My first year of college really got off to a rough start. All senior year in high school and throughout the summer, I had been sooo excited and ready to leave home. I was ready to experience the independence that comes from being away from your parents. I was ready to make new friends, get involved in lots of activities, and just get away from the drama-filled high school experience. I was ready for a fresh start, and I was given the opportunity. Only one other person from my high school would be at the college and I was an over an hour away from my family. While I know that really isn't that far, but it was just far enough that if I wanted them to come to a band concert or just to have lunch, that they would be able to.
The first thing that made that first year tough was the feeling of being out of my comfort zone. I have always been shy and reserved when I first meet someone, and I feel that I have missed many friendship opportunities because of this. So my first big obstacle was becoming more outgoing and willing to try new things. So I went out of my way to meet some of the girls living on my floor, and made several connections right away. This was a great feeling since I was literally friendless and that was a new feeling for me. All of my friends back home and been friends since kindergarten, but we all headed to different states for college.
Once the school year got rolling and classes started, everything became quite overwhelming. I would have anxiety attacks about going to certain classes because I felt like everyone knew everything already and I had know clue what was even going on. I felt that in no way had high school prepared me for the challenge of all this material and especially not the workload that was given. I was also having some trouble with my living situation. Yes this was my first time sharing a room, so that was one adjustment I was really having trouble getting use to. Another was my roommate. We were just not meant to live with each other, and so that put more anxiety on me. Although I didn't really get homesick, apart from just missing my own bed, I had what I like to call "family sick." I was having a really hard time not seeing my parents and sister for weeks at a time.
So it came that time for my first violin lesson of the semester. I was pretty nervous, because my professor was quite intimidating. I didn't know his personality and he was super tall, which I feel to be a bit daunting. Anyways, he welcomes me into his office and asks me how everything was going. At this point, not that many people had asked me how I was doing and I just lost it. I started crying right there in his studio. I was truly mortified. But he just sat me down and handed me the box of tissues, all while I was sobbing and apologizing profusely. That day I didn't really have a lesson. He just took my lesson time to find out what was going on and making sure that I knew everything would get better with time. His kindness and caring that day truly made me feel grateful to be going to a school where the faculty truly want to know how their students are doing and taking the time to talk with them. I had that much more respect for my violin professor after that day. And sadly, there were a few more times when he just happened to ask me how I was doing and I couldn't hold it in any longer. There really are no words that can describe how much his compassion meant to me.
My first year of college really got off to a rough start. All senior year in high school and throughout the summer, I had been sooo excited and ready to leave home. I was ready to experience the independence that comes from being away from your parents. I was ready to make new friends, get involved in lots of activities, and just get away from the drama-filled high school experience. I was ready for a fresh start, and I was given the opportunity. Only one other person from my high school would be at the college and I was an over an hour away from my family. While I know that really isn't that far, but it was just far enough that if I wanted them to come to a band concert or just to have lunch, that they would be able to.
The first thing that made that first year tough was the feeling of being out of my comfort zone. I have always been shy and reserved when I first meet someone, and I feel that I have missed many friendship opportunities because of this. So my first big obstacle was becoming more outgoing and willing to try new things. So I went out of my way to meet some of the girls living on my floor, and made several connections right away. This was a great feeling since I was literally friendless and that was a new feeling for me. All of my friends back home and been friends since kindergarten, but we all headed to different states for college.
Once the school year got rolling and classes started, everything became quite overwhelming. I would have anxiety attacks about going to certain classes because I felt like everyone knew everything already and I had know clue what was even going on. I felt that in no way had high school prepared me for the challenge of all this material and especially not the workload that was given. I was also having some trouble with my living situation. Yes this was my first time sharing a room, so that was one adjustment I was really having trouble getting use to. Another was my roommate. We were just not meant to live with each other, and so that put more anxiety on me. Although I didn't really get homesick, apart from just missing my own bed, I had what I like to call "family sick." I was having a really hard time not seeing my parents and sister for weeks at a time.
So it came that time for my first violin lesson of the semester. I was pretty nervous, because my professor was quite intimidating. I didn't know his personality and he was super tall, which I feel to be a bit daunting. Anyways, he welcomes me into his office and asks me how everything was going. At this point, not that many people had asked me how I was doing and I just lost it. I started crying right there in his studio. I was truly mortified. But he just sat me down and handed me the box of tissues, all while I was sobbing and apologizing profusely. That day I didn't really have a lesson. He just took my lesson time to find out what was going on and making sure that I knew everything would get better with time. His kindness and caring that day truly made me feel grateful to be going to a school where the faculty truly want to know how their students are doing and taking the time to talk with them. I had that much more respect for my violin professor after that day. And sadly, there were a few more times when he just happened to ask me how I was doing and I couldn't hold it in any longer. There really are no words that can describe how much his compassion meant to me.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Respect
Respect....what a word. It seems we have all been asked at one time or another to define this word. And yes, I am going to attempt a definition of my own. Right now.
Respect is not just one thing, but an accumulation of several things. To me it is looking up to someone; valuing how they go about accomplishing their goals in life and the decisions that they make, regardless if you agree with them or not. It's caring for not only yourself, but everyone and everything around you. While this seems pretty cheesy, there is really no other way to describe respect. It is kind of hard to put into words, if I may say so.
As a current college sophomore who is in pursuit of a degree in music education, respect is obviously something that I hope to have in my classroom. While respect should be found everywhere, this post is centered around respect found (or maybe not) in a classroom. There have been many instances throughout my schooling experience that I can recall where I really had respect for a teacher. One teacher in particular would be my middle school band teacher. He was an older guy who seemed to have that knack for teaching beginning band students. He was patient, caring, and had the ability to make sure kids knew that they would succeed if they worked for it. Everyone loved band with this guy. How could you not? To this day I aspire to become a band teacher because of him. He took the time to make sure that I had the opportunities to be a better player (I play french horn, by the way). Although I have been in college for a few years now, I made sure to keep in contact with him. This past summer he even helped me work on my orchestra auditions for college. Having a teacher that keeps encouraging you is one of the best feelings in the world and my level of respect keeps growing.
That little story is just one way that respect can be seen in a classroom. A teacher can make class both fun and educational while instilling respect into their students. On the flip side, when a teacher doesn't respect their students, it is hard for the student to have respect for that said teacher. Another example from my younger days. Even now, my face has a tendency to turn a ridiculous shade of red when I embarrassed. Well, in seventh grade I had this obnoxious geography teacher. He was loud, tried to be funny, and loved to embarrass his students. I was a personal favorite. I recall one day very clearly. I was sitting in class and was called on to answer some sort of question that I probably didn't know the answer to, so I got all flustered and embarrassed. Well, my teacher took notice of my rather flushed face and went on to point out to the rest of the class how my face matched my conveniently red notebook. When this obvious fact is pointed out, it just makes my redness worsen. It was the most embarrassing thing in the world. Not only just being picked on by my teacher, but being laughed at by the rest of my class. I know this seems like a very childish thing to remember, but I can't seem to forget it. I have a hard time respecting teachers who think that trying to be funny and picking on their students will make students like them. I don't want to be just a liked teacher, I want students to be able to respect me as a person.
I wish there was magical way that respect would automatically be a part of classroom, but alas, there's not. It is something that has to be earned and that takes time, which takes patience. I think taking the time to get to know your students and respecting them is a good way to start the process. And all of this is just what I think will work....Obviously I don't have any first-hand experience with this sort of situation, so this is all how I hope to go about this 'respect' stuff when I start teaching.
Respect....everyone should give it a try.
Respect is not just one thing, but an accumulation of several things. To me it is looking up to someone; valuing how they go about accomplishing their goals in life and the decisions that they make, regardless if you agree with them or not. It's caring for not only yourself, but everyone and everything around you. While this seems pretty cheesy, there is really no other way to describe respect. It is kind of hard to put into words, if I may say so.
As a current college sophomore who is in pursuit of a degree in music education, respect is obviously something that I hope to have in my classroom. While respect should be found everywhere, this post is centered around respect found (or maybe not) in a classroom. There have been many instances throughout my schooling experience that I can recall where I really had respect for a teacher. One teacher in particular would be my middle school band teacher. He was an older guy who seemed to have that knack for teaching beginning band students. He was patient, caring, and had the ability to make sure kids knew that they would succeed if they worked for it. Everyone loved band with this guy. How could you not? To this day I aspire to become a band teacher because of him. He took the time to make sure that I had the opportunities to be a better player (I play french horn, by the way). Although I have been in college for a few years now, I made sure to keep in contact with him. This past summer he even helped me work on my orchestra auditions for college. Having a teacher that keeps encouraging you is one of the best feelings in the world and my level of respect keeps growing.
That little story is just one way that respect can be seen in a classroom. A teacher can make class both fun and educational while instilling respect into their students. On the flip side, when a teacher doesn't respect their students, it is hard for the student to have respect for that said teacher. Another example from my younger days. Even now, my face has a tendency to turn a ridiculous shade of red when I embarrassed. Well, in seventh grade I had this obnoxious geography teacher. He was loud, tried to be funny, and loved to embarrass his students. I was a personal favorite. I recall one day very clearly. I was sitting in class and was called on to answer some sort of question that I probably didn't know the answer to, so I got all flustered and embarrassed. Well, my teacher took notice of my rather flushed face and went on to point out to the rest of the class how my face matched my conveniently red notebook. When this obvious fact is pointed out, it just makes my redness worsen. It was the most embarrassing thing in the world. Not only just being picked on by my teacher, but being laughed at by the rest of my class. I know this seems like a very childish thing to remember, but I can't seem to forget it. I have a hard time respecting teachers who think that trying to be funny and picking on their students will make students like them. I don't want to be just a liked teacher, I want students to be able to respect me as a person.
I wish there was magical way that respect would automatically be a part of classroom, but alas, there's not. It is something that has to be earned and that takes time, which takes patience. I think taking the time to get to know your students and respecting them is a good way to start the process. And all of this is just what I think will work....Obviously I don't have any first-hand experience with this sort of situation, so this is all how I hope to go about this 'respect' stuff when I start teaching.
Respect....everyone should give it a try.
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