I would have to say that subject knowledge is a small part of being an early years teacher. It may be different with senior years teachers, as some have pointed out, but to me for being an early years teacher it would be in I CAN TEACH. It's not always what you know, or know how to do. Like hockey coaches, not all were great hockey players, but they know the game and know HOW TO COACH/teach.
During my student teaching placement, I had this very thing brought to my attention. My cooperating teacher asked me to teach a class on something I wasn't familiar with. I was to teach the grade 8 class during my last week, how to cup clap. He gave me a sheet and told me to look it up on youtube, and said "you may never get it, but can you teach it". That stuck with me the whole time, as I watched the video and attempted cup clapping, it was pretty difficult. The day came that I was to teach the class to cup clap, so I taught them how. I did not show them as I could not do it myself, I broke it down into steps for them to try and then to put it all together. They all got it quicker than I did, and some much better than others. Some so good they had a little competition and I gave some treats to the winner.
It was because of this that I believe that it is more than just what you know that makes one a good teacher, it is more about can you teach, can you relate to the students, understand what they understand and build on that.
Like discussed in class some teachers know the subject and that is all, I had a grade 9 math teacher like that, was a math expert, but could not teach.
Professional knowledge 1 - Subject knowledge 0!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
WHY TEACH??
Why I want to teach? Ever since the age that I figured out I can't be a fire truck or a tiger, I had wanted to be a professional hockey player, like most young boys growing up, playing hockey in Canada. As I grew older that dream faded, as reality sunk in and I wasn't Wayne Gretzky, though I can say I portrayed Doug Risebrough in Keep Your Head up Kid: the Don Cherry Story, which would be the closest I ever come! It would probably be in middle years and high school that I started figuring out that I would like to be a teacher, I enjoyed watching my younger cousin grow and thought it would be a good profession, and SUMMERS OFF, WOOO HOOO!
After high school, I took some time to just have fun, working terrible part-time jobs and hanging out with friends. When I applied for University the first thing I wanted to do was become a teacher, but the first two years my grades sucked so I gave up on that and just floated around taking a bunch of random courses which had nothing to do with anything. As I mentioned before my grandma died in 2005 and I crashed completely. It was two more years of failing and borderline depression, then I realized I could be so much more. Inspired by a few things I went back on course to become a teacher.
Now as I'm almost a teacher I can tell you that:
1. I want to make a difference, and have the same impact on kids as some teachers and my grandma had on me.
2. I look forward to the challenges and rewards that come along with being a teacher.
3. I'm a kid at heart and my hearts in kids.
After high school, I took some time to just have fun, working terrible part-time jobs and hanging out with friends. When I applied for University the first thing I wanted to do was become a teacher, but the first two years my grades sucked so I gave up on that and just floated around taking a bunch of random courses which had nothing to do with anything. As I mentioned before my grandma died in 2005 and I crashed completely. It was two more years of failing and borderline depression, then I realized I could be so much more. Inspired by a few things I went back on course to become a teacher.
Now as I'm almost a teacher I can tell you that:
1. I want to make a difference, and have the same impact on kids as some teachers and my grandma had on me.
2. I look forward to the challenges and rewards that come along with being a teacher.
3. I'm a kid at heart and my hearts in kids.
Favourite Teacher
I would have to say my favourite teacher was my high school English teacher Ms. Buizer. I had her first in grade 9 and coming into that class she made it very warm and welcoming right from the get-go. She was a newer, younger teacher, eager to be there it seemed. She loved what she did and wanted to be there, making me want to be there, much like the Fish Philosophy! She made her classes fun as she had a great sense of humour. Ms. Buizer was always honest, and told it how it was, that attribute made me respect her, even if at times that honesty wasn't always what one wanted to hear. She was pretty laid back and easy going, but at the same time caring about those in her class and in the school.
I still keep in contact with Ms. Buizer, she was a great reference for the application process to getting into Education, and I keep her up to date with my progress so far.
I would also have to say another of my favourite teachers was my grandma. She retired early to run the family business, so I never knew her as a school room teacher, but I learned so much from her as she lived right next door. In 2005, she passed away from cancer and I was hit pretty hard by it, which I think further sparked my interested in being a teacher.
I still keep in contact with Ms. Buizer, she was a great reference for the application process to getting into Education, and I keep her up to date with my progress so far.
I would also have to say another of my favourite teachers was my grandma. She retired early to run the family business, so I never knew her as a school room teacher, but I learned so much from her as she lived right next door. In 2005, she passed away from cancer and I was hit pretty hard by it, which I think further sparked my interested in being a teacher.
FISH! Philosophy
The Fish philosophy is a wonderful idea. The video was fun and energetic and the men who worked at the fish market, though maybe not the most educated, made something not too terribly fun, fun for everyone. The four steps to the philosophy are:
1. Be There
2. Play
3. Make their Day
4. Choose your attitude
In no specific order, well maybe except choosing your attitude before your day actually starts, these steps can make most tasks pretty fun and engaging.
Be There
To be there is basically all it is, letting the other people around you know and see that you are there for them and not leaving.
Play
This is the idea that you can make any task fun, and if you do that people around will become more engaged even if they aren't too sure they are becoming more engaged.
Make Their Day
Even a simple compliment or the idea of "filling their bucket" is a great way to make someone's day and to help them feel better about their day. To start off the day with a "make your day" moment makes that day seem so much better.
Choose Your Attitude
This is so true, if you show up with a bad attitude, it shows and its not pleasant. If you show up with a good attitude and a smile on your face, everyone around you is going to pick that up. Attitude is contagious, try not smiling or laughing when you hear Joyce laugh!
This philosophy is fun, and it will be fun to try it out in the classroom setting when student teaching. I have tried using it everyday so far, and it seems to make a difference. I work for the YMCA Before and After school program, if I show up just draggin' my butt, they sense that and aren't as fun, but if I show up in a good mood and ready to play they feed off that and everything goes pretty smoothly!
1. Be There
2. Play
3. Make their Day
4. Choose your attitude
In no specific order, well maybe except choosing your attitude before your day actually starts, these steps can make most tasks pretty fun and engaging.
Be There
To be there is basically all it is, letting the other people around you know and see that you are there for them and not leaving.
Play
This is the idea that you can make any task fun, and if you do that people around will become more engaged even if they aren't too sure they are becoming more engaged.
Make Their Day
Even a simple compliment or the idea of "filling their bucket" is a great way to make someone's day and to help them feel better about their day. To start off the day with a "make your day" moment makes that day seem so much better.
Choose Your Attitude
This is so true, if you show up with a bad attitude, it shows and its not pleasant. If you show up with a good attitude and a smile on your face, everyone around you is going to pick that up. Attitude is contagious, try not smiling or laughing when you hear Joyce laugh!
This philosophy is fun, and it will be fun to try it out in the classroom setting when student teaching. I have tried using it everyday so far, and it seems to make a difference. I work for the YMCA Before and After school program, if I show up just draggin' my butt, they sense that and aren't as fun, but if I show up in a good mood and ready to play they feed off that and everything goes pretty smoothly!
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