In this section you will create a personal values statement. You also want to share your scholarly goals. To this end you can discuss where you are and where you want to go as a scholar and person. Some questions for you to consider: How does your current path connect with your preferred future? How are you going to reach your goals? What are your current strengths and weaknesses as a student? What motivates you to learn?
I have always hated school.
No really, it’s true. In kindergarten I didn’t understand why when ‘Little Johnny’ pushed me into a mud puddle and I pushed him back and made sure he was more soaked than me- why was I the one sent to the principle’s office? In Gr. 2 my teacher wanted to hold me back simply because I did not understand her way of teaching me how to look things up in the dictionary (she finally told my mom, and my mother who is a master teacher was able to find a way for me to understand.) In grades 3-7 I was bullied profusely and had teachers tell me to use my words to solve conflicts. “Yes Mrs. M, I’ve tried that and was kicked in my sides and called unfathomable names after I tried your method hence why I’m here but that’s fine…” I got my first tutor in Gr. 7 because I did not understand math to save my life… I was borderline failing and was going to get held back. Carry on from grade 8-12 and so many tutors later, lunch hours I’ll never get back (more tutoring) I graduated and was told post secondary was my only avenue. Post secondary hit, and it was surprisingly easier than any other schooling I had done. The work wasn’t necessarily hard (because Rae did not have to take anymore chemistry thank God) but there was a lot of it because this psychopath took 21-23 credit hours (approximately 13 classes) per semester. My teachers never let us do work in class, or give us time to accomplish anything. Formative feedback was scarce and mostly all summative. If I didn’t understand the material, my teachers would explain it to me again the same way they had done before… as if by magic I would get it. When I finally graduated with my B.A. (and barely, I think I sold my soul and was an inch away from the looney bin. We are talking white rooms and strapped in kind of deal) I swore I would never go back to school. I was going to sing some opera (I was heading to Greece that summer to do so) then I would go pipelining.
AND HERE WE ARE! Teaching with SD28 since 2018 and now at UNBC doing my teaching certification. Never say never. But why… why am I here?
You needed to have a background story to my detest and sour taste in my mouth when it comes to education. You also will never know of the stories I could tell about coaches running us until we vomited, or directors that screamed at us through megaphones or threw things at us… ridiculed us in public just because they “saw potential.” I do not mean to be morose or darken the mood, there’s light at the end of the tunnel I promise, but I really wanted to paint you a picture of the majority of models I had when it came to learning. But then there was my mother…
Master teacher, outstanding at what she does, solid boundaries with students in the class, works too hard, cares too much, knows an abundance of information, diplomatic, organized, has a CV 5 miles long- and I saw how exhausted she was as a child and was like “yeah… we do not want to become a teacher. But also, kind of wish I had you as a teacher… and wish there were more teachers like you.”
My other beautiful example was one director, a 74-year-old man we called “Doc” who knew my rough-around-the-edges background, but never judged me for it. He was also the first director to assign me to some major responsibilities such as sectional leader for our choir and then after that, was voted president of the choir. A man who believed in me and loved me for exactly who I was and wouldn’t change a thing about me… just helped nurture skills I had and help me become an extraordinary performer.
Doc and Mom helped me realize that through my vast experiences of Sports, Opera, Pipelining, Ranching, Teaching Private Piano/ Voice lessons and Coaching, that I have been teaching all the long. I would run rehearsal for a Nationally ranked choir, I would take on “Bad News Bears” teams and make learning fun for those kids. I would mentor new men that came into the pipeline industry, teach them the ropes, the safety behind the job and more (because being drug through the mud and thrown vegetables at isn’t exactly an introduction everyone wants to experience.) I am constantly helping others with their mechanics in sports, thanks to the fact despite my crazy coaches, they were world renowned so… they knew a thing or two. I would run master classes for singers and piano players to help achieve their next level… so really… I was a teacher before I made the decision to be a teacher.
My promise to myself, my students and my future students has always been this: I want to make school a place you want to be at, or at least not dread coming to. I want you to leave my class feeling empowered, smart, talented, confident, bold, daring and ready to take on your next adventure. I want you to feel prepared to take on the world using skills you have and developed.
Strength based learning is such a huge part of my pedagogy, because I know for myself, I went through most of school feeling “stupid” because I was constantly judged on the things, I wasn’t necessarily good at. I know that from my struggles as a student and lack of understanding, that it is now an asset as a teacher. It has created a new level of passion and patience I have with my students. I may have needed to be taught 8 different ways to do an equation in math… but now I have 8 different teaching methods to teach it. Explaining “why” is such a huge part and this is where the connection is made to career education. When teaching percentages in math I always make sure students have examples of how it’s connected to the real world. We will explore jobs that use percentages on a daily basis and give students real life scenarios to use their percentages skills (tell a Gr. 8 to go buy a car… it’s funny.) Integers and fractions, we explain thermometers- look up many construction jobs (specifically pouring concrete) and from the temperature it needs to be at to the measurements it requires to put the paste together, we have math. “It is important to look beyond the concerns of about how students attend school to what helps them learn and engage with school.” (B.Brown, A.Hartwell, R.Mosher)
I also recognize that not all students come from the same background… or the same anything for that matter. Students are like horses that you did not birth, you have a vague understanding of where they came from, the owners can lie about how they were treated and there can be so many hidden obstacles that eventually, you will unveil one by one. Horses have taught me that “a commitment to inclusivity and diversity helps equip all students to participate equitably in society.”(B.Brown, A.Hartwell, R.Mosher) Nurturing strengths of students, creating a safe environment for them to take risks, try new things and communicate effectively with their peers all aids in any chosen career path ahead. I have found in the classroom when you make the learning relevant, students are not only more willing to engage but they are even motivated and inspired to learn. Someone may see a math lesson on percentages, while another sees development of “creativity and innovation, problem solving, numeracy, reading, writing, communication and more, [all]… skill for success.” (Service Canada) If students are equipped with these skills, they are able to choose jobs that related to their passions and skillsets, and will uphold many jobs and jobs we as teachers may not have even heard of. We cannot prepare our students for a specific career; we must prepare our students with a toolbelt of skills and knowledge to conquer any job. “The work is not changing; it has already changed. And it’s not a millennial view of the world either.” (T. Denning)
I love teaching. I love watching my students thrive. I love watching students learn in real-time. I love watching my students grow as people. I love being a small part of that process. “Not surprising, success leads to more success.” (B.Brown, A.Hartwell, R.Mosher)
Works Cited
Service Canada. (2021, May 25). Learn about the skills. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training/initiatives/skills-success/understanding-individuals.html
The Conversation. 05.06.2021. 5 Factors that contribute to students finishing highschool. B.Brown, A.Hartwell, R.Mosher
The Startup. 07.15.2019. The World of Work has Changed- It’s time for Leaders to Accept it. T. Denning