TESOL 103 W02 "Are Great American Teachers Dead?"
16 January 2019 W02
TESOL 103
Reading through the
article for this week, I feel I need to add that I think South Africa should be
included in the "Are Great South African Teachers Dead?" There are
many who need to change their ways but then I am also looking at how they
taught me many years ago. I certainly feel that the heading does not only apply
to America. With all the research that is done there should be no more “Dead
Teacher.” As William W. Purnkey says “The most important aspect to a teacher is
to be a romantic.” If we put the same amount of effort and time into teaching
as we did while dating, we call to do great things.
In the beginning of the
article we read how a simple act of a friend asking to have a passage reread
gave Demosthenes the confidence to be able to go on and have a speaking career.
We require faith in ourselves to be able to be the great person/teacher we
desire to be. I have never blogged before because I just liked my privacy.
This has taken me out of my comfort zone but because we have a kind lecturer
who understands that we are on all different levels, I will succeed at it. This
is the second time I am doing it as I somehow lost the first one.
How would I go about
trying to be a “Great Teacher?” I
certainly would make sure that I know and understand EACH student individually.
What their home situation is. Allow them to feel my love and know that they are
special. Teach them that it is okay to make mistakes, we all do. Show them that
I am okay with laughing at my own mistakes, so they should not feel bad to
laugh at their own mistakes. Their environment must be safe, and they will be
protected.
Mark Twain said the
following, “Keep away from people who try and belittle your ambitions. Small
people always do that, nut the really great make you feel that you, too, can
become great.”
I certainly try and live
by that motto.
Thank you for your comments. I especially resondated with the idea that we need to have faith in ourselves and who we can become. We close ourselves off to success because we fear. We are afraid that we aren't good enough or smart enough or . . . enough (fill in the blank). It takes courage to go into the unknown (or sometimes a wonderful teacher to push you there) but as we move forward in faith and try our best we are amazed at who and what we are becoming. It is a wonderful jouney that I have been very grateful for!
ReplyDeleteI think that you have a really big point here: people all around the world have access to new information, but no one knows yet how to use it.
ReplyDelete