Who Am I as a Teacher?

This week's response asks the very simple, yet complex question: Who am I as a teacher? While it might be prudent to simply state that I'm really not sure, I feel like it's important to build upon why specifically I might feel unsure. When examining what makes a teacher, people often imagine the "sage on the stage" scenario, where the teacher is the one running the class and thus the student is the one sitting in the desk, hurriedly taking notes down. This model has thankfully been expanded upon in recent years. Thus, it would be wise to update our perceptions of teachers as well!

It is no secret that as a teacher, you are in a constant state of learning. You learn from your peers, you learn from your students, and most of all, you learn from the mistakes that you make. As such, a teacher has more opportunities to learn than any other profession, as their learning rarely ends once they leave their classrooms. They are given many professional and unprofessional avenues to assess their shortcomings and find potentially better avenues to pursue in the future. Thus, to be an effective teacher is for one to be a forever learner. In this, I think that many of us are teachers in our own right.

We can then revisit our question of who I am as a teacher with ease. While I might lack the extensive experience of being a teacher in a classroom, I know who I am as a learner. I know that as a learner, I am open to new ideas and concepts, and require little time to grasp new concepts. Given that I know how I tend to learn, we can then apply this to how I define myself as a teacher at this point in my education. Simply put, I feel that as a teacher, I am open to innovation and tend to be quick on my feet when running my class. Not only that, but I remain open to different people and different teaching strategies, as no single method will work best for everyone. Thus, I believe that I am a teacher, by name of the profession. I am focused on guiding and mentoring students into the modern age by whatever means necessary. I hope to build better citizens of tomorrow by providing my students with the tools they will need. I strive to identify and learn from the mistakes that I make to better hone my practice.

At this point, however, I would like to gently backpedal and state that while I do believe I am a teacher, I am still a teacher candidate. I still have many methods to learn, students to assess, and practicum to undertake. However, this only provides me with more time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy. As all astronauts once started out as space cadets, I too feel as if I am a space cadet in this stage in my career. I’m still learning!

Image taken from https://www.speakers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/chrishadfield.jpg

Questions

1. What are some of the common obstacles new teachers face when they start teaching?

2. What resources are available to new teachers who are unsure if they are taking the right steps towards building their practice?

3. How should teachers keep their practice modern once they leave academia and begin to teach in their own classroom?

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