1/13/2020 Week 2 Response to "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?"

 While reading "Is the Great American Teacher Dead?" I felt several different emotions.  At first I was feeling like it was quite a boring assignment and wondered if I would gain anything from it.  It was interesting because the point of the author was that teachers need to deliver the lesson in an interesting way to get the students to engage.  At first, I was not engaged.  It took some time for me to become engaged in the article.  I have watched many of Brother Ivers classes and he delivers very good lessons that are very engaging.  While I have yet to have a classroom of my own or teach yet, I have seen many teachers that are very good at what they do.  They, like Brother Ivers deliver good engaging lessons.  I wondered if the views of outsiders looking at American classrooms were just seeing things differently due to a difference of culture. The article suggested that "outsiders" can see a culture more clearly than "insiders".  Regardless, I learned the importance of engaging students in the lesson by a good delivery through the story of Satyrus and Demosthenes. Listening to a teacher lecture day after day can get boring for the teacher and the students.  Variety is one of the four basic human needs.  People need variety in many aspects including the learning environment.  

I found the studies about how where people grow up can affect different things like schizophrenia, anorexia, and depression very interesting. Some of the finding made sense to me while others were a little surprising.  Different cultures can be very interesting to learn about.  Being exposed to different cultures can give them greater acceptance of others who are different than them.  

Some of the main takeaways that I got for use in my future classroom are the 10 minute rule, create an environment of trust, optimism, respect, and caring, be enthusiastic, encourage seep and critical thinking, and positive teacher-student relationships. All of these things will help me to be a better teacher and give the students a better opportunity for success.  

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 13, 2021 at 10:39 AM

    Hi Leisel,
    I enjoyed your response to this week's article. I believe that the way Brother Ivers teachers comes with experience. As a future educator, I believe in learning from other teachers and paying close attention to how students learn best. Each student and teacher learn and teach in ways that are different from others. We are all the same, but yet different in the ways we see the world and act in it. I also agree that our upbringing plays a big role in how we view ourselves in society. That said, we can change and adapt as we see fit. I also strongly believe that creating a learning environment of trust, respect, kindness, caring and peace can greatly influence how a student learns. My greatest goal is to be a teacher that inspires growth and great desire of learning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vickie RussonJanuary 13, 2021 at 5:41 PM

    Leisel,
    I agree with Brother Ivers starting out a little boring! But I never felt that way watching his instructional videos. It is interesting how delivery can make a huge difference. I have observed two different teachers explaining the same content for their lessons where one is very dynamic and makes it very interesting and the other makes me want to take a nap.
    Thankfully, the article did get more interesting as I moved through it and I agree that the best parts were the parts you listed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. HAbadieJanuary 15, 2021 at 11:50 AM

    Leisel,
    It is almost like Brother Ivers is proving his own point that delivery matters!

    ReplyDelete

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