Reflection Eight

“It is impossible to teach without the courage to love, without the courage to try a thousand times before giving up.” Paulo Freire

How does this quote make you feel?  Do you agree with it?  Have you always wanted to be a teacher? Explain. Post to your blog.

I think the quote is important. Love as Pablo Freire meant it is the ability to continue to accept and respect others in spite of their failings and their failures. Students sometimes fail at the tasks that teachers set them to, but a teacher will not succeed in teaching if the teacher is unwilling to accept this and teach gently. 

Unfortunately the bureaucracies under which teachers are most often employed are as unemotional as lizards. The machine is not concerned with circumstances, or second chances. Sometimes teachers feel that their behavior should resemble that of the machine. At that point, they stop being teachers and become oppressors.

Reflection Seven

“The mediocre teacher tells; the good teacher explains; the great teacher demonstrates; the excellent teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward

Sure, the ultimate is to inspire students. However, isn’t there a time and place for all these things? Aren’t each of the above important?  What do you think? Explain. Post to your blog.

Since my experience is in teaching English and in learning other languages I will speak from a language learning perspective. Language learning does not happen in the classroom. The best thing a language teacher can hope to do in the classroom is start students down the right path. Occasionally inspiration will happen to a student but I'm not convinced the teacher has anything to do with it.

From the age of 14 to the age of 21 I studied French in a traditional classroom setting. I did learn to use French somewhat but I never really spoke the language except for a brief moment while I stayed with a family in France. In spite of several years of studying French, felt lost navigating my little corner French society and I felt as if I was always missing something and as if no one really understood me. By the time I stopped studying French in college I could barely speak a word. The total failure in my attempt to learn the language was probably the result of being taught and of having grammar explained in the absence of any reason to ever put it to use. But my teacher was a great teacher. She helped me survive that period of my life between childhood and adulthood. French class was the reason I went to high school every day instead of running off and hiding somewhere. Had Madame found some way to inspire me to seek out French in books, and movies, and French speaking members of our own community I might still speak the language. (But really, that's asking a lot of her) Instead learning the language resembled piecing together a very complicated puzzle that never made a picture. 

I gave up French and took up German. I studied German for four years of college. I made my greatest advances in the language in the first year. I made a German friend, I made plans to visit Germany, and I checked out every German language movie available at Pick-a-flick. My teacher was a good teacher. He had a good repertoire of effective methods. He was enthusiastic and he had a good attitude. He gave me the foundation I needed to be successful in the language. However, I inspired myself. Over the next few years I visited Germany several times and found a job in Switzerland for one winter season. By the time I was ready to continue my university studies I was reading novels in German and speaking the language as if I were another person altogether. I entered the linguistics program at CU and I was optimistic that German would be a part of my life forever. By the time I gave up studying German (my senior year) I could barely speak a word of the language. 

So, I met a girl from Spain. Nearly a decade later I came back to my home town with enough Spanish to work as a medical interpreter and lead a weekly tertulia. Sometimes I feel like I am two people one who speaks Spanish and one who speaks English. The platitude is wrong. An excellent teacher does not inspire. A teacher cannot inspire. An excellent teacher points the way for others to find self-inspiration. My greatest language teachers are my ex-wife who lead me to Cameron de La Isla, Antonio Machado, Garcia Lorca, Juan Rulfo, Cervantes, Borjes and Almodovar. And my and ex-father-in-law who lead me to the mountains, springs and gardens of his home.

Teachers will do what they can to help their students avoid pitfalls and false paths and to help them down the right way to learning, and that's all they can really do. 

Reflection Six

“The most extraordinary thing about a really good teacher is that he or she transcends accepted educational methods.”  Margaret Mead

The funny thing about adult education is that we are finding new ways to teach adults, so the field is really open to teachers finding their way.  Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Do you feel like you have enough support or professional development to teach the way that you would like? Explain. Post to your blog.

Not this week, sorry.

Reflection 5

“Teaching = helping someone else learn.” L. Dee Fink

How do you feel about this quote?  Why do you teach (or want to teach)?  Post to your blog.

I think this is a good perspective. A teacher should be a guide who helps the student avoid pitfalls and who helps decide where to go from any given point.  

Learning is an internal process and it starts with willingness. If the willingness and motivation burn out teaching can involve helping to rekindle the desire. If this has to have to happen every day, however...

Reflection 4

“Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a
better condition of things than existed earlier.”  John Dewey
John Dewey is one the founders in the education system.  He was keen on active learning. How
do you feel about this quote?  Is it true? Explain.

This sounds reasonable. As far as I understand it I would say it is true. It seems to me that "genuine teaching" refers to teaching things that are true or teaching skills. "Condition of things" should refer, then, to the state of the world or to the state of our lives. If we learn something new then we will be able to improve our place in the world and/or to make the world a better place.

The quote might also refer to an idea that teaching involves improving on knowledge or abilities that already exist. This is probably true too since the student who comes as a blank slate does not exist. 

Reflection 3

“The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do, never does what he can do.” John Stuart Mill

What do you think this quote means?  Do you have high expectations for your students?

I think this quote means that if you are never pushed to the point of failure you will never achieve success. I don't think it is true. Many skills can be learned incrementally and comfortably. More important than being pushed is the possession of a burning desire for knowledge. 

In my experience with language learning, I found that Spanish came very easy. I never attended a class and I never stayed up late nights pulling my hair out trying to figure out the language. I had a burning desire to learn the language, so I did. When I could have spoken English, I spoke Spanish instead. When I could have sought out Americans or other English speakers, I avoided them instead. When I could have tuned out conversations around me, I listened in. But, I never pushed myself to the point of failure. I just learned because I wanted nothing more in the world. Spanish was the most important thing in my life at the time. I was successful in my endeavor where many are not. 

Maybe I don't have high expectations for my students. It depends on what you mean by expectations. I set high standards for their work, but I understand that they are adults. I understand that if they do not love English or writing they will only ever achieve limited success. I am there to guide not to push. I cannot make anyone want to learn, and I cannot make anyone love the subject matter. I can only guide my students down the right path. They will choose success or not. 

Reflection 2

“A teacher affects eternity: he or she can never tell where his or her influence stops.”  Henry B. Adams

How do you feel about this quote?  Reflect on one or some of your teachers – are they still influencing you? Post to your blog.

It's true, at least in small ways. Influence is very difficult to measure, but I do feel that as a teacher I am making the world a better place.

If I teach someone to appreciate reading and writing and to feel at ease when he or she is required to read and write that person will have a better life. They will be subjected to less stress, doubt, and shame. If they have children their children will grow up in a better environment if only for the slight reduction in stress to the parent who isn't afraid to read and who isn't afraid to write.

If I teach an Arab to speak English (and I have). He will gain some understanding of who we are and will at least have one American who he appreciates. In addition that person will be better able to inform other Americans of who he is. With his new language they will establish common ground and undo all the damage done by hateful pundits and ignorant people.

If I teach an American Spanish, I will transfer to that person all the cultural wealth that many Americans assume our day laborers lack. My compatriot will appreciate the intangible riches that come from being able to enjoy two cultures and the pleasure that comes from sharing experience with people of all walks of life.

Teachers are the best hope for the future of the world. My teachers helped to create the person I am, and I recognize that I am changing people's lives. Of course there are those who teach The Lie, but even they cannot undo what we who teach skills and critical thought do.