"Is the Great American Teacher Dead" TESOL 103

 

“Is the Great American Teacher Dead?” This question was posed in a paper by Professor John J. Ivers at Brigham Young University Idaho.  My initial answer is I certainly hope not! We need great teachers.  In my own experiences, I have had great and not so great teachers. The great ones have stayed with me, along with what they taught.  The not so great teachers have faded into oblivion and are lost to my recollection. I would like to share what the great ones did that was passionate, positive, inspiring, inviting, meaningful, and transformative.  They helped me address problems and shift the paradigms of my thinking while also helping to build my confidence in learning. 

Fifth grade will always be the year to remember Mrs. Morrill.  This kind woman loved to teach and she loved being a citizen of the United States of America.  She helped implant in each of us a love of country and a deep sense of patriotism.  The joke among the students was she loved the USA enough that her underwear must have been red, white, and blue.  She was very passionate about teaching her students that value and in giving us the knowledge a 5^th grader should know.  Lessons were always taught with love and in a safe environment.  Her enthusiasm for learning kept us working hard.

The middle school years brought Mrs. Hatch in Language Arts class.  Students would shake in their boots if they got her because her reputation preceded her, she was a hard teacher.  In truth, she expected a lot of her students and gave a lot.  We learned to write our first major research paper and to do it right.  She was tough but we learned we were capable of accomplishing the task.  Mrs. Hatch’s example expected greatness of us and was always fair.  She helped us stretch to the next level of learning, preparing us for the future.   

High School brought Mrs. Gilbert.  She was a no nonsense teacher that knew how to keep a classroom in control and to maximize learning.  American History was taught in an inviting and meaningful way.  Questions were expected and thinking out side of the box encouraged. During a mock trial, the proceedings were stagnating until she started to throw ‘what if’ questions at us to make us contemplate more fully what was at stake.  She made history come alive in every lesson.  She helped transform my way of thinking into not always going along with society but to think of what matters to me and how I can make a difference in life. 

These examples help me want to be a better teacher and to contemplate deeper Professor Ivers suggestion of good teaching.  With each of these great teachers I developed good relationships that help build my trust in learning with them.  While they may not have all been good in delivery, they each had enthusiasm and zest for their subject, wanting to help us see real world problems and understand the need for change or deepen comprehension. Each was a tough but fair teacher.  I am grateful for their example but want to broaden how I teach and encourage learning. 

Professor Ivers impressed on me the importance of engaging the students with his ten minutes rule.  Every ten minutes to change up what is happening in the classroom. This encourages variety in the classroom, which helps keep the students engrossed in the subject. We all live in a technology filled world, where things are fast paced and our brains have adapted things changing every ten minutes.  Teachers can adapt and add variety in teaching.  The ten minutes rule inspires teachers to change and keep things fresh which may help with teacher burn out.  Professor Ivers also wrote about the importance of an active mind and a positive learning environment.  Teacher can do a lot to make this happen for students.  He called it the affective realm. His paper also taught us about metacognition; thinking about thinking.  As teachers we should help our student think deeper and reflect on what they learn.

“Is the Great American Teacher Dead?” I don’t think so.   I believe teachers will evolve in this new world where technology can be a helper and not a motivator.  There will always be teachers who love learning and helping motivate the student by being passionate, positive, inspiring, and encourage their students to open new pathways to understanding and learning. I hope to be one of them.

Reference:

Ivers, JJ (2012). Is the Great American Teacher Dead? Principles to Resurrect Meaningful, Effective, and Consciousness Raising Instruction. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice ● Volume 18, 2012