Prompt:

Given your personality, leadership qualities, knowledge about adolescent students, and now your experience with teacher meetings, what personality trait(s) do you believe will be your greatest asset as a classroom teacher and colleague?  What trait(s) do you believe may create issues as a middle or high school teacher and colleague?

Response:

Throughout our class discussions and school experience I have been struck by how the learning process is adversely affected by so many influences outside of the school day and school structure. I recall from my own school experience, I often was more preoccupied with activities or distractions independent of school than learning. This is not to say I did not have great emphasis on school work, but like everyone else, school took a second seat to whatever else I had going on.

Our readings have substantiated this idea, Vatterott and Wood have both recognized that school is not the “end all be all” for most children. As we have discussed in class at length, the changes most kids are going through during these critical years often make learning a frustrating and difficult process.

As a future teacher, I would identify understanding these factors as the most important trait a teacher can posses, more specifically, having empathy for the student experience. Empathy can be a difficult trait to learn, but it is critical to education. Learning, in and of its self is a difficult process, it is only further complicated by the life situations and experiences of the students. Each student has a unique perspective and a good teacher will recognized the strengths and weaknesses of the student to help them reach their optimal learning.

A teacher is more than just a teacher to most students, they are a role model, a counselor, a healer, a guiding hand, and an inspiration. In ED 241, Developmental Theory, we have discussed this concept with special regard to Vygotsky’s theory of ZPD and scaffolding. Teachers have to help each and every student bridge their particular zone of proximal development. It is unfair to expect each student to be able to on the same level with the same ZPD, so it is necessary for teachers to be critical of their class and empathetic to each students particular situation thereby helping them as effectively as possible.

Great teachers use specific motivational techniques to aid each student, therefore by being empathetic to a students particular plight, an instructor can appropriately create the learning environment which is best for that student and the group (INTASC 5).  In addition, by understanding the child’s perspective, the teacher can adeptly plan for instruction using a variety of methods and strategies (INTASC 4&7).  Empathetic teachers can not only successfully motivate their students, but they can also structure lessons for what ever skills the students need to develop based on their education history.

However, the worst trait a teacher could have would be ignorance or apathy. Although these two traits may seem different, they are actually very connected. By being ignorant of the student, the teacher is not only acting apathetically, but they are encouraging a general apathy about learning. Both do substantial damage to the learning process, and also to the learner. Although some may say ignorance is bliss, I would argue that ignorance is idiotic. Living in the world today, teachers especially cannot afford to be ignorant of their students needs. Students spend at least 5,000 hours in high school but to think they are not affected by the life situation they have outside of the school is absurd.

I know I have empathy as a student pursuing as career in teaching, and I hope the teachers I will be working with in the future will also have this trait. I cannot imagine what it would be like working with another instructor that does not a high capacity for empathy.

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