Some Thoughts on Teaching and Learning

So, what seems like a lifetime ago – although it was only two weeks ago – I got the opportunity to take part in a TEDx conference at Western. A friend of mine from high school is at Western, and was one of the organizers of the whole thing. It was a really inspiring day. There were many great speakers, all completely different… but I was so happy to attend, especially since many of the talks were extremely relevant to a young teacher. The theme was “Own Your Passion” which I loved . I think that statement sums up what I have been trying to accomplish this year. I am extremely passionate about teaching, but this year has been about me gaining honing my skills and gaining confidence, so now I can “own it”. Now, onto the super cool talks which directly relate to teaching – how awesome is that? There are two that stand out for me… completely different things… one is super inspiring and awesome, and one is just downright useful. The first was actually a TED talk that is online and we just...

I've decided to keep it simple and answer the questions: Why do you still want to be a teacher? (or, if you don't, what's changed your mind?) I've wanted to be a teacher for at least 8 years now, and although I had absolutely no clue what I was getting into when I started thinking this, for some reason, I am continuously in love with it. The things I love most are: - the kids that I teach (every group is interesting and different... and a challenge) - that I am continuously learning from my students about my subject, and more - seeing the moment when the penny drops - being part of a learning community -- teachers helping each other, students helping each other, teachers helping students - finding new ways to explain things -- improving myself How have your practicum experiences changed your ideas about WHY you want to teach? I don't think that they have, for the most part. If anything, my experience in my practica have just deepened my ideas of why I ...