REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 1 Reflection Paper Two: Effective Teaching Renae Lange
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 2 Reflection Paper Two: Effective Teaching There comes a point in time where the concepts of effective teaching come to a defining moment. In fact, the rubber meets the road in not only one defining moment, but in many defining moments. There is, however, a common setting to these moments: they occur in real classrooms in front of real students with real problems. Where am I at in the process of becoming an effective teacher? This is a difficult question to answer honestly, not because I am reluctant to share the truth but that I am unsure of the truth. I have been equipped with an arsenal of strategies, techniques and theories. Unfortunately, I have had such limited opportunity to use them. While this lack of experience is nearly inevitable, it makes an accurate reflection of my skills and abilities harder to obtain. That being said, I plan to evaluate myself based not only on my prior experience but on my personality s strengths and weaknesses. As with any assessment, evaluation should be performed by comparing that which is to that which is desired. Todd Whitaker provided a standard of effective teachers in his book What Great Teachers Do Differently. While his list is not conclusive, it does supply a foundation for what makes an effective teacher. I cannot include the entire list here, but I will highlight certain ideas from this list to serve as a reference point for my journey in becoming an effective teacher. According to Whitaker (2012), Great teachers manage their classrooms thoughtfully. When they say something, they mean it (p 24). With this one statement I am reminded of the ineffective teachers from my school days that went on empty-threat rampages. Yelling, names on the board, threats of calling parents and going to the principal s office were all used without
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 3 much success. When the threats to individuals did not work, these teachers resorted to punishing the entire class instead of just those responsible. As a mostly well-behaved student, I resented both the incompetent teachers and my classmates who caused such distress. I vowed that if I ever taught, I would not handle my class that way. What I did not realize is how difficult it can be to truly mean what you say. Let me provide an example from last week. My mother s cousin came over with her highly energetic and somewhat defiant son. While Dana (my mom s cousin) began to make some phone calls, I was left with the responsibility of supervising rambunctious Aaron on the trampoline. The rules of the trampoline were simple: No flips. What I could hardly believe was that in less than five minutes Aaron completely disregarded the one rule I laid before him, and I was now faced with a choice: do I bring him inside or do I give him a warning? No flips Aaron I said sweetly, hoping to avoid a meltdown from him. He claimed that the flip was an accident, so I let him keep jumping despite feeling like my boundary had been pushed. Another thirty seconds went by before the second flip came, and before I knew it I said If you flip again I will take you right inside to your mom! It was at that point I realized that if Aaron had been my student, I would have needed to act on the consequence that I laid out for him. I was lucky enough that Aaron understood that I meant business, but it brought me to the realization that any threats I make need to be ones that I am unashamed to follow up on. This will be a process for me because although I tend to be forgiving and gracious in nature, there are times when a consequence for an action is truly what is best for a student. In order to be an effective teacher, I will need to grow in this area.
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 4 On the flip side, there is an area where I feel I have already grown significantly, and that is the area of repair skills. Whitaker (2012) states that, Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage (p.71). I was incredibly blessed to have a counselor for a mom. From middle school drama to professional relationships, she has helped recognize when damage has been done and the best way to go about repair. I appreciated what Whittaker says about great teachers never needing repair but always doing repair. This is the type of teacher that I want to be: one that has great relationships with her students. I realize that I will not connect with all of my students, but I do want each student to know that he is respected and valued by me. Listening to students and being renewed by their perspective will help me to see when I am in the wrong and when I need to apologize. I will still need to grow in this area, but I know that growing in this area will not only make me a better teacher, but a better person. The aspect of teaching that I am most excited about is also one that can carry the most responsibility. Great teachers know that they are the variable in the classroom. Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control: their own performance (Whitaker, 2012, p. 41). What if all of my teachers in high school were as good as my math teacher? He was (and is for that matter) enthusiastic about math but more importantly about teaching high school students. He had a spring in his step and a smile on his face as if he had a secret that he just could not wait to tell us. And that seemed to be his joy and passion each day: unraveling the secrets of math for students so they could succeed. I was one of those students who blossomed under his teaching (which honestly surprised me). I went from being alright at math to being one of the better students in the class simply because someone believed in me. I realized that I could be the variable when I starting tutoring
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 5 some younger students. There was a surprising amount of joy and laughter involved in our tutoring sessions, to the point that the atmosphere no longer one resembled a chore, but rather a game. As one of my professors would put it, we went to work and just played. I grew both in my own understanding of math and teaching. I would not trade that time for anything, for it was in those moments that I got a foretaste of the fruit of effective teaching. I have been so privileged to have that opportunity. I look at the impact that this effective teacher had on my life and ask, What would happen if I was effective like him? Maybe my students would not be as intimidated by math. Maybe some of them will truly enjoy coming to my class not because they necessarily like math, but because they feel safe and they like being there. I am the variable in the classroom and I will set the tone of the class. This is an incredible opportunity to provide so much more than just geometry or calculus. This is an opportunity to gain problem-solving skills, confidence, and success. There will be sacrifices on my part in order to put my students first, like giving up my negative attitude when I am tempted to spread the criticism. My precious sleep will sometimes need to be sacrificed for the sake of early morning tutoring and late night correcting. Long days turn into long weeks and long months, but with the support of family, friends, and other teachers I am confident that the sacrifice will be worth the reward. So where am I in the process of becoming an effective teacher? I mentioned that I am lacking experience and I have plenty of areas to grow in, but, overall, I feel I am exactly where I need to be. I am eager and I am moldable. I will learn more as I go, and with the help of careful
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 6 self-reflection, solid advice, and hard work I believe that becoming an effective teacher is a very real possibility.
REFLECTION PAPER TWO: WHITAKER PAPER 7 References Whitaker, T. (2012). What great teachers do differently: 17 things that matter most. (2nd ed.). Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.