Here come a few perhaps uncharacteristic posts for this
blog, but they are connected to both Tech and Ed. They are about two topics that have
influenced the last few years of my life.
Two topics I have been exploring: 1. Passion driven education and 2.
gratitude.
Angela Maiers writes about passion driven education.
Some of my thinking and teaching have been influenced by Daniel Pink’s ideas on motivation as seen in
this post a few years back where my students talk about their life sentences—basically what drives them.
This TED Talk by Sean Aiken entitled, What Makes You Come Alive,
reminds me of some of the questions I have for pre-service teachers. Why are you here? Teaching is NOT an easy field. At the end of the day of prepping more hours
than one wants to admit, sacrificing time with family, friends, and even self,
there are typically no accolades. In
fact, the antithesis too frequently awaits; there can be critiques—from students,
parents, administrators, colleagues, and self, even from the best or maybe
especially from the best. As teachers we
may have the best intentions and feel ready to change the system, but the path
to do this is challenging and quite frankly isn’t the right path for all. So,
if you are entering this field, know why!
If you do-- if you know, I’ll go out on a limb and say you won’t
regret it because the bonuses and benefits are many.
All of this is spurred on by the fact that I just wrapped up
working with a few college students who have the potential to be AMAZING
educators! (See the video below.) If
they choose teaching as a profession, they will rock. How do we offer our youth experiences beyond
the classroom walls to experience their passions that may turn into hobbies, jobs, careers,
lives lived? So they KNOW, “That’s my sentence. That’s where I belong!”
You Go Pedro! If you ever forget why, because we all do; I will be one of many who will remind you.
To take this a step further into the realm of public education and tech today, I stumbled upon this site. I’m not sure where the project is at this time, but the ideas that are within the site should make those who know why they are in the profession stop and think. Redefining Education.
#DoIGetpaid4this? Hmm… define “pay.”
Shhh... don't let the secret out! If it is known that for the vast majority of my 37 years of teaching, despite all of the work, low pay, administration frustrations, etc. that I basically really enjoyed teaching. We might be swamped with new student teachers.
ReplyDeleteFrom my first year of teaching, (when a group of my students, all girls in a rural school, suggested that I needed a wife and I should go to town and get one - love 5th graders), to my last year when my students were calling me a hacker, (as middle school computer lab teacher), most all of my years were enjoyable.