Cookies, please!

 

My analogy for my teaching heritage is the chocolate chip cookie. Simple ingredients are combined to make a cookie. Physical and chemical reactions occur. It seems no two batches of cookies are alike, even though similar ingredients are used.

Salt - enhances the flavor of other ingredients

Baking soda - adds volume

Butter - tenderness, flavor, smooth texture

Flour - structure

Egg - binder, moisture

Sugar - sweetness, moisture retention, browning

Chocolate chip - awesomeness

Cat fur - hidden unpleasant, unwanted experience

What surprised you about your educational history?

 

Twice I listed books as teachers. Once in childhood for vicarious learning, and in adulthood for self-directed learning. I was also surprised by the patterns and trends I found.

 

What patterns do you notice emerging? 

 

My chocolate chips are those who give me knowledge and tools to teach myself, as well as coping strategies. Trust advocacy, humor, and quikiness are also strong undercurrents. My teachers are also developmentally correlated - family at a young age, institutional educators during the school years, family and mentors/informal educators in my 20s and 30s.

The cat fur in my cookie are the close minded, linear people. They offered no warmth and were belittling. Some dead-ended my interests and areas I wanted to explore.

Week 1: Introduction

Week 1: 

1. My name is Beth. I teach outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. I am originally a Missouri girl. This is my seventh year teaching, and my fifth year in my current district. I am certified in art and gifted education.  I teach art between two schools, grades K-5. I also teach a GT pull out one afternoon a week. 

My B.F.A. is in studio art (photography....pre-digital revolution). My certification came post-bacc through a M.A.T. program I was one course away from finishing when we moved out of state. I am currently a post bacc student at MU. This course puts me at 9 hours through this university. I am in the process of getting things together to apply for the online MEd program. It seems a MEd offers different opportunities than a M.A. in art education. I really like the quality of the graduate courses I have seen so far.

I find that I am getting a little bit less timid about speaking my mind about certain issues in education. The honeymoon period is over, and sometimes I feel I am getting my sea legs. (This past Wednesday I woke up in a mood and ran around the school asking my colleagues 'Who wants to start a fire?')  I have many things I am passionate about in education. I will save those soap boxes and plant them like video game bombs through out the semester!

2. To the article 12 Qualities by Great Teachers by Chris Lehmann I would add 

#13. Ability to empathize with and understand the burdens of your co-workers. I work with some people who do not understand that they are not doing the load of the work in the building. 

#14. Creative ability and use of creative problem solving.
 #15. Ability to conduct action research. Education can be top heavy in that actions come from administration down to the classrooms. Action should start with the students and move upwards. 

Quality	Self-Assessment	Comment
Passion for teaching	2	I am in the moment in the classroom. I bounce around and interact with the kids. But I love a good snow day. I have 3 weather apps on my phone to triangulate my weather data during the winter months. Last year I hit my wall, and this year I pulled back a bit, trying to find the work/home balance.
Love of kids	2	I definitely have favorite age groups, and a few I struggle to love. The Kindergarteners I brag on become second graders whom I try to survive. Each age group needs a different teaching style. The age groups I have a hard time finding my flow with are first and second grades.
Love of their subject	1	I am teaching in an area I constantly try to grow and gain education in. A great benefit to being an art teacher is being able to learn grow personally.
Understanding of the role of a school in a child’s life.	3	I heard a quip on the radio that in the South, a child’s life revolves around school, church, and family. This is probably true for most areas. I had a lower middle class upbringing. Over half of my students live in poverty. Reading Ruby Payne still doesn’t prepare me for the fact that school provides the largest amount of food, clothing, medical care, and security for a big number of the students in my school.
A willingness to change	2 or 3	I think of myself as open-minded and I get excited at new discoveries, but it is an effort to change patterns of thought and habits. I am open to criticism and feedback.
A work ethic that doesn’t quit	1 or 2	A past principal warned me that I needed to pull back, and I found my wall last spring. I am way more cautious about my job this year.
A willingness to reflect	1 or 2	I am an introvert, so I tend to live in my head and analyze my actions. But my reflections are informal. My biggest ones come when I am walking outdoors on the weekend. The old crutch of not having enough time during the school day….
Organization	3	I am a visual-spatial person. I organize in piles, and can monitor and adjust. However, I am aware that statistically 40% of students are not like me and LOVE organization. I sometimes I lose class materials I really need. I misplace my keys daily.
Understanding that being a “great teacher” is a constant struggle to always improve.	1	I am still in my teaching infancy, so this is a no brainer. If I start becoming a curmudgeon, I will get out of teaching.
Enough ego to survive the hard days.	1	I am resilient and have a short memory. Enough ADD to not dwell on the bad stuff too long.
Enough humility to remember it’s not about you	1 or 2	I am hands on with the kids and focus on their motivations, but am cognizant that I am also involved in the classroom system.
A willingness to work collaboratively.	3	In theory, yes, but I am more confident and comfortable by myself in some settings. I organize events like an annual career day and the district chess tournament, but I tend to micromanage when possible – less drama.