Passion

            I have always loved literature. Ever since I learned how to read, I have always sought meaning in books and poetry and loved them for their diction, characters, story, and beauty. It never occurred to me that there might be actually something that would make me stop loving literature. That is, until I took Honors English my sophomore year of high school. The class was supposed to move faster and take a more in depth look at literature than a regular English class, so I was enthusiast to start. Then I met our teacher; I’ll call her “Ms. Jones”.

            “Ms. Jones” was one of the least energetic, least opinionated people I have ever met. She never once became exited about any of the novels we read in her class and analysis of poetry seemed like it was a chore for her. The literature we were reading was full of interesting discussion material. But because “Ms. Jones” didn’t seem particularly interested in uncovering the inner workings of the verse and prose, her students certainly weren’t inclined to do so either. Going to class was like pulling teeth. There were even some days when I would have preferred a trip to the dentist than sitting through such a low energy class.

 I knew my interest and learning had been negatively impacted when I wasn’t even excited to start reading Watership Down. It is one of my favorite books and I’ve read it more times than I can remember. My own copy is so well loved that I’m surprised it is still in one piece. And yet, when we studied the novel in “Ms. Jones’s” class, she made it so dull and uninteresting that I began to wonder why I even enjoyed Watership Down in the first place. For that whole year, I dreaded having to read for that class. “Ms. Jones’s” lack of enthusiasm showed me the importance of being passionate about your subject, as your attitude will always influence your students. But luckily, through my own initiative and because of the enthusiasm of other teachers, I still love literature, maybe more now than I ever have.

Authenticity

                           I do not think there is a set limit on how much authenticity can be expressed in the classroom. Each situation and group of students will be different. The important thing to consider when wondering how much authenticity can be expressed is: Is this appropriate for this moment in time? Everyone has their own opinions, whether it is about politics, rules, other people, or entertainment. As a teacher it is especially important to know when to share your personal opinions and when to keep them to yourself.

Teachers have an incredible amount of power when it comes to shaping the next generation. Being genuine is essential to developing good relationships with students and to reassuring them that their teacher is a trustworthy person. But being authentic is a balancing act. If your authenticity begins to infringe on students’ ability to develop their own opinions and come to their own conclusions, it is time to set a limit on what you share in the classroom. Finding the balance between being an authentic person and being a professional can be tricky.

            Students as a whole are very astute when it comes to judging if a teacher is authentic or not. From my own experience, I know that it is easier to trust, respect, and learn from a teacher who is consistently honest.  It is also easy to tell when a teacher is not being authentic, especially when a teacher is praising her or his students. Ultimately, if a teacher does not truly believe what they tell their students or if it is inappropriate to share what they really think, it is best to keep quiet. Students can normally guess what the teacher’s real opinion is. So giving the “correct” answer instead of your own genuine answer can hurt the relationship between teacher and student, thereby creating a lack of trust and respect. Thus the learning process suffers. Appropriate authenticity is essential to a healthy classroom environment.

Compassion

            When I think “compassionate teacher” the first person that always comes to mind is Mrs. Thirkell. She taught calculus at my high school and I had the opportunity to take calculus with her my senior year. I had heard stories about the difficulties of that class, but whether I talked to the math guru or to the person who barely survived calculus, they all finished by saying the exact same thing. “Mrs. Thirkell is great. She’ll do whatever it takes to help you learn.” From the first day of class, I could tell that my peers were right in their judgment of this incredible math teacher.

            I have always been a good math student but I have never enjoyed the subject. And calculus turned out to be the bane of my existence senior year. Never before had I struggled so much to understand an academic concept. I was completely frustrated, overwhelmed, and a little ashamed that I simply couldn’t get calculus to make any sense in my brain. I was almost ready to give up and transfer to another math or at least accept that my grade would be terrible in that class.

            But luckily, Mrs. Thirkell is one of the most attentive, understanding people on the entire planet. Despite having incredibly full classes and over 100 calculus students who all demanded her attention, she still took the time to personally talk to me about my struggles in that class. After a particularly bad test, she asked if I would stay after school and talk to her about it. When I explained my frustration and anxiety, she immediately offered to help me any way she could and for however long I needed until I understood whatever concept eluded me. Never before had I had a teacher who took such a personal interest in my success. And she didn’t just care about my performance in calculus; she wanted to know about my family, my interests, and my plans for the future. I knew I could trust her and that she wouldn’t be condescending toward my lack of calculus knowledge. With her help, I was able to pass the class and end my high school career with an appreciation for math, even if I still didn’t enjoy doing it. I truly believe that Mrs. Thirkell’s compassionate nature, endless patience, and love and care she had for each individual student is the only reason I passed calculus. I take her example to heart and hope to be that sort of teacher for my students one day.

Respect

            Respect is the act of accepting and valuing another person’s boundaries, opinions, and authority. People do not necessarily have to agree with another person’s opinions but they should make an effort to understand or at least disagree in a considerate manner. Respect is not created through intimidation, being overly controlling, undermining other’s differences, or verbally attacking a person’s values and opinions. Respect is the basis for creating trust in a relationship. When people do not trust each other, it becomes very difficult to learn from that person. For students to learn from their teacher and teachers to learn from their students, respect must be involved in the relationship.

            Respect is best established in a classroom by being respectful. The teacher is responsible for creating an environment where respect can thrive. If students can have a model of what respect looks like from the teacher, then they in turn can model respect. When individuals, teachers and students alike, have the knowledge and the guarantee that their actions and opinions will be given value, it creates a better learning environment. When there is a lack of respect in the classroom, the students’ educations suffer because the teacher spends all of his or her time trying to gain control of his or her classroom. If the meaning of respect while in class is established from the very beginning, the doorway is opened for an excellent learning environment.