Dr. Mike Wesch (and I) believe students learn when the teacher shifts from F to A and focuses on content or an outcome that is “worth it” - I think meaning what is important in the lives of the students. When students are not worried about being defined by their grade, or just getting by, they are able to shift their attention and energy to creative and important work. These projects should be scaffolded so everyone can make it, and those that don’t reach the first plateau do not get an F, rather a Not yet with feedback and support from others. Through this, they find creative ways to work together and build important life skills like empathy, teamwork, and a passion for helping others. They learn that with support of others and by helping others, people stick together and make it through difficult moments. Education should not be comprised of boring assignments, but content that connects to the realities of student lives so they can continue growing and “living inside learning” and building these important characteristics of “Who am I?”. The result is that students are much more engaged because the work is meaningful, they learn life skills, and help shape and recognize their identity. Teaching and learning is so much more than grades!
This made me reflect on my own experiences as a student, why I became a teacher, and who I am (and working to become better) as an educator. I was a poor to average student throughout middle school, high school, and much of college. As Dr. Welsh said, I did what I needed to do to get by. School was boring to me. I recognized my strengths were that I was empathetic, friendly, energetic, and athletic. Not since pre school were any of these strengths reflected in assignments or on a report card - hence my grades were often poor. I was and always will be terrible at math, science, and sitting through long winded lectures. Nearly every teacher and lesson I can remember was boring to me. My passion for working with youth motivated me to join the education program, maybe my into third year of college, with intent to reshape the way teaching was done in High School into my own way. Except I had no clue how to do this and had never yet experienced it. My last education class was a psych lecture, and I was one class away from quitting the education program when Dr. Cook changed everything for me. She came into class joking and dancing, wearing jeans and a tee shirt and throwing around props as we got to know each other and responded to meaningful questions. We would write and share our responses. The class would laugh and cry and high five. I couldn’t believe what I was a part of - class was actually FUN and COOL and MEANINGFUL. I wasn’t just trying to get by or worried about a certain grade to not have to retake the class.
Dr. Cook ended up being my advisor, and we had several discussions of how stoked I now was on teaching. She shared the same enthusiasm and would tell me how incredible of a teacher I was going to be. After year six, I had completed my English requirements to graduate, and I still had a somewhat long list of Praxis Tests (a nightmare for someone like me), courses, and student teaching to complete my cert. At this point, I was convinced and passionate about becoming a teacher. However, I had just failed a Praxis test, a pre-req for the next course, and decided I couldn’t go on any longer. As Dr. Wesch said, I had a call to adventure. Rather than cram for another standardized test, I wanted to take off a year and live in Costa Rica. I wanted to surf, explore, volunteer at different schools, and immerse myself in a foreign culture. My mother said no, not that it would have stopped me, but I think she saw some possibility in the idea, and told me to see what Dr. Cook thought about the idea. Dr. Cook needed no convincing, in fact she damn near forced me to do it! It ended up being the best decision of my life. I spent a few years volunteering in schools and orphanages, learning Spanish, gaining valuable life experience, making lifelong friends and creating memories I will never forget. Dr. Cook’s tragic passing helped me realize it was time to take what I had learned and come back to finish what I started. Today, largely thanks to her, I am an ELL teacher with about 90 students from Central America, all of whose countries I have spent significant time in. This call to adventure, road of trials, transformation, and return got me to where I am today.
