This thought or reflection came to me after a conversation that I had with a colleague. I frequently talk with other teachers about the frustrations of how students don't seem to try their hardest and how that is evident in them not turning their work in on time. This is worn out conversation that usually ends with us shrugging our shoulders and saying something along the lines that we do the best we can do. The conversation I had this time followed a similar path but ended at very different destination.
She reminded me of the humanity of my students. Of all the roles my students play in their lives. Some are siblings. Others friends. All of them are sons or daughters. And a "lucky" few are in relationships. Along with these roles comes different expectations, duties, time requirements, patience, pressures, misunderstandings, mistakes, and accomplishments. Many of them have strong support nets through these relationships and roles, and others are greatly taxed by them and lack that support.
I think that it is important to remind ourselves that no one is perfect (not even close). That even though we so desperately try to hide this humanity, it's still there and it should not be ignored. That when we push people because we think that they can take it, we also need to support them so that they will be successful. That we shouldn't complain about another person's actions without trying to uncover the person behind those actions.
God called me to be a teacher. He also called me to love my students. The best way that I can love my students is to pray for them when they frustrate me. I love them by hearing about their prom dresses and relationship woes. I love them by being a nerdy science teacher that makes them laugh and forget their hurts. I love them most of all by showing them the science of God's creation and how He loves us.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Do you know the answer?
Today in my chemistry class we began learning about the mole. As an introductory lesson, I gave the students a little bit of the background of why scientists use moles and what moles are (not spots on your body or furry little creatures). To accompany the notes that they took on some of the new vocab for the chapter they worked on an activity called "Rice-o-Rama" (I found this activity from a great resource whose creators seemed determined to come up with the cheesiest names that I am sometimes embarrassed to read aloud.)
The object of this activity was to find two different ways to determine how many grains of rice there were in the dixie cup that I gave them without counting them all out individually. Many of them got to work right away and had no problem measuring out a few grains and finding their weight and using proportions to then determine how many total grains of rice they had in their cup.
After promptly completing their measurements, one group came up with a final answer of 2,000 grains of rice. Wide eyed and confused, they immediately asked me if I knew how many grains of rice they had. Before answering their question, an idea flashed through my head. The thought was "does it matter if I know the answer?". The whole purpose of the activity was to introduce this idea to them, to throw a problem their way and have them analyze and solve it. This group's question made me reflect on the type of teacher that I want to be. I want my students to become independent thinkers and learners yet many of them seem very much content to be a small empty jug in which I pour my knowledge into them. This is not what I want nor what I want for my students.
I think that sometimes we get pressured into "knowing" things instead of "learning" things. As a teacher, I for one, constantly find myself answering questions instead of guiding to the answers. This one instance in my classroom today challenged me to do things that will make me more of a guide rather than a person that my students perceive as an "all knowing being". This is definitely something that I want to work towards yet I'm unsure of how. I feel as though I took the first step by answering that group's question by saying, "Does it matter if I know the answer? I'm more interested in what you guys think."
The object of this activity was to find two different ways to determine how many grains of rice there were in the dixie cup that I gave them without counting them all out individually. Many of them got to work right away and had no problem measuring out a few grains and finding their weight and using proportions to then determine how many total grains of rice they had in their cup.
After promptly completing their measurements, one group came up with a final answer of 2,000 grains of rice. Wide eyed and confused, they immediately asked me if I knew how many grains of rice they had. Before answering their question, an idea flashed through my head. The thought was "does it matter if I know the answer?". The whole purpose of the activity was to introduce this idea to them, to throw a problem their way and have them analyze and solve it. This group's question made me reflect on the type of teacher that I want to be. I want my students to become independent thinkers and learners yet many of them seem very much content to be a small empty jug in which I pour my knowledge into them. This is not what I want nor what I want for my students.
I think that sometimes we get pressured into "knowing" things instead of "learning" things. As a teacher, I for one, constantly find myself answering questions instead of guiding to the answers. This one instance in my classroom today challenged me to do things that will make me more of a guide rather than a person that my students perceive as an "all knowing being". This is definitely something that I want to work towards yet I'm unsure of how. I feel as though I took the first step by answering that group's question by saying, "Does it matter if I know the answer? I'm more interested in what you guys think."
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