I have to start by saying that I really enjoyed this article. In all of my classes there is this overwhelming negativity at times in which everyone (including textbooks and articles) points out how difficult it is to teach and how awful the kids are and all the problems we will face as educators. This article was different because it had a hopeful tone and pointed out some of the positive aspects of teaching while offering insight as to how to teach well.
The three interviewees seemed to to have two themes in common that made their career successful: 1) they were positive and did not place blame on any extrinsic factors related to student success and 2) they came to know their students very well both in and out of the classroom and expected a lot from them academically and community-wise.
I believe that these two themes are crucial no matter where, who and what you teach. It seems that many teachers have a defeatist attitude and show up to work everyday looking at the clock wondering when they can go home. (I say this from the experience of working with teachers and listening to their conversations in the staff room.) Instead of giving up when times get hard, it is critical that we teachers find the positive in our positions and not falter in our consistent expectations of the students. Yes, every now and then there might be that student or parent who gives us a hard time, but we need to remain positive and examine what we can do to improve the situation. Its about time to stop the blame-game and just get it done.
It might not be easy though...
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3 comments:
I totally agree with. I also think that if you have a positive attitude the students can tell. They know if you don't want to be there. I think a positive attitude can have a huge impact on the way the students react to you, and can make all the difference in their motivation to learn.
I agree as well. It may not always be easy to teach in an urban area, but I am really glad that this article gave a positive approach to teaching in urban area. I feel like all the negativity we hear turns people off from urban schools, and this article was a breath of fresh air.
Andrea--I definitely agree with you. I did my student teaching in an urban school, and it was really hard to avoid the negative attitudes from the teachers and staff. Even during lunch time, the most common theme of the discussion was how terrible the kids were, and how impossible it seemed to teach them. A positive attituted can really go a long way. :)
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