Rene Stienke's Lecture

            I also went to another lecture at the Vibrant Word Writing Festival held by Luther College on October 30. In her talk called “The Beautiful Strange: Writing a Novel,” the author Rene Stienke talked about the importance of literature in people’s lives. She spoke of how things that seem strange can also be beautiful and compelling and how her own experiences have made an impact on her writing. Stienke’s lecture was interesting but not very engaging. Her topic was interesting and she did have some very thoughtful things to say. However, her lecture felt very scripted (she was, after all, reading from her paper almost the whole time) and the audience did not have the opportunity to be an active part of her lecture. Stienke was much livelier when she was not reading from her script and it was then that I really wanted to pay attention. It was easy to see her passion and enthusiasm better when she wasn’t so focus on what she had written down, but rather on how she herself was connected to the material. Rene Stienke definitely approached her lecture as a writer, rather than as an experienced educator.

Michael Sandel's Lecture

Michael Sandel’s lecture on justice on September 30, 2010 was fascinating not only for its content, but also for Sandel’s lecture style. Sandel challenged his audience to think about very difficult choices, choices that, hypothetically, would cost people their lives. He presented them with situations such as: if you were driving an out of control trolley car and had no choice but to hit someone, who would you hit? Five average people, or spare the five and kill the one person who had the cure to cancer? He proposed the question and allowed his audience to ponder their own answer and look to their own morals. Yet he never provided any concrete answers or forced his own opinion. The presentation was more of a conversation between Sandel and his audience than it was a lecture from an expert to college students.

            I found Michael Sandel’s presentation style to be very interesting and engaging. I especially liked that he entered into a dialogue with the people listening to him. He proved to be a very adept listener, constantly using his audience’s responses to construct the discussion. He displayed the wisdom of a teacher who knew his students and could change the lesson to suit their needs accordingly. Other qualities that I noticed about Sandel were his patience with people who had not quite kept up with the discussion and his ability to make hypothetical situations relevant to real life. Michael Sandel’s method of teaching through demonstration and active audience participation was very effective.  

Inventiveness

            Human beings in general are a very creative species. When allowed to excise this creativity people tend to learn better and the learning becomes more personal. In order to encourage, teach, and reward creativity in schools, inventiveness and imagination should not be quelled. The old form of school teaches that there is only one way to accomplish a task. But, as learned from the books we’ve read this semester, employers are now looking for people who can explore and devise new ways of accomplishing their goals. As a result of the world needing more and more people to take initiative, the “one way only” type of schooling is becoming defunct. Students can learn best when they are allowed to explore in the way that makes the most sense to them. When students are permitted to use their imaginations during the learning process, the door is opened to further learning. Creativity and imagination are derived from intrinsic motivation; they are their own reward. Children are still going to be creative even if they are not incessantly praised for it and are not intentionally taught how to use their imaginations. The best way to encourage the natural ability of human beings to use their imaginations and be creative is to simply allow those things to happen and to not assume that creativity and imagination are negative things. 

Reflectiveness

I think reflection is essential to the learning process and to the teaching process. When a person reflects on the information she or he was given, a deeper understanding of the material is achieved. During this process of reflection, facts gain personal significance and are added to the wealth of knowledge each student has. Facts, situations, opinions, and events that are not given any reflection are often easily and quickly forgotten. Also, there are times when a topic “clicks” only because a person reflects on it and it makes much more sense in retrospect.

            As a teacher, reflection is important too. Reflection is the key to improving job performance and establishing a good relationship with students. Reflection allows you to think back on your day and be honest with yourself. You can more clearly understand your successes and failures, your strengths and weakness, once you are removed from the situation itself. Then you can best decide how to use that knowledge at a later time. Reflection on your students is also good. Thinking about their behavior and receptiveness can help you understand how to best direct your teaching to suit their needs. Reflection can provide clues for when a student needs help, whether that is academic, psychological, or with relationships. As a teacher, reflection is necessary for your success and students’ success.

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.