In Will Richardson's Feb. 24th blog had a couple of interesting points: 1) teachers need to become Master Learners, not so much Master Teachers and that maybe we need to treat students as apprentices not just as vessels that need to be filled with knowledge.
Richardson talks about his frustration with "selfish" teachers. I understand where he is coming from especially in terms of technology. There has to be a willingness from teachers to revert back to the learner-mode and be ready to accept instruction, be experiential in our classrooms (which is sometimes humiliating and not always easy) and to be willing to make a few mistakes along the way. We have to be students again. I think that it is easier for people, like us in this class, to see that and to become the learner again because that is exactly what we signed up for! But, for other teachers, it can be difficult to get in that mindset again. For some of you, this may be your first grad class, but for the rest of us- remember your first grad class. Where you lost? Confused? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? YES!! It is not easy to shift gears and be out of control. Now that some of us have a few classes under our belts, it is easier to see that the control issue is huge for teachers and it is scary jumping off the cliff into the desk again. I like the term that Richardson uses, "Master Learner" because that is exactly what I feel like right now!
The other point that Richardson makes is that in the last century, there was a shift for the majority of children- from being apprentices to being students. Why can't we see students as apprentice adults and maybe change our approach to teaching. I like the idea of thinking of my class as full of apprentices not just students. I'm not sure how to go about doing that, but it is an interesting concept to start thinking about. I'm going to try to think about how I can change my teaching to be come more like a "journeyman" and my students as "apprentices".
Those are the ideas that I'll be chewing on this week!
Katie
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
"Selfish" teachers is very descriptive. It is easy to fall into that trap when you think of what selfish can imply. This is "my" knowledge, I own it and so I may be reluctant to admit that my knowledge might be limited.
Admitting you don't know something can be as tough as trying to break the old patterns and learn something new.
You put an interesting 'spin' on your label of some teachers being "selfish" . . . this would be an offensive statement to many teachers, but I tink it is a very accurate descriptor.
I might argue with a teacher who feels they are not being selfish are they are demonstrating a reluctance to be a learner. Yes they are an educator (they have a certificate which tells them that they are) and abviously a knowledge base to go along with their qualifications . . . but does it stop there? I argue it doesn't.
You are correct in saying that as you continue along your Masters / Graduate program, you become much more comfortable in 'your journey' . . . you don't feel so 'lost'. How do we get teachers who are "set in their ways" to realize that their journey isn't over but should be continuing . . . or for some, 're-starting'? How do you get them to realize that the cetificate doesn't mean that you need to know everything and that it is okay to admit "I don't know"? Is there anyone who knows everything?
I think that I will also look at my students in a different light (thanks to your thoughts in this post) . . . as apprentices and I will attempt to adopt that aprentice role as well . . . I know I can learn lots from my students and it is imperative that I provide them the opportunity to be the 'teacher' . . . my certificate is no different than anyone else's so shouldn't I (along with other certificate holders) continue to 'grow' with the profession??
Katie you make some interesting points about the learning curve and the lack of comfort some people feel with the challenge of learning. I know that when I went into Grad studies it was for the learning experience. I have found over the years that the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and how much more there is to learn. I have become comfortable with this because it excites me with all the possibilities for future learning.
I like Travis' statement about those who demonstrate a reluctance to learn. How often do we work with students who are reluctant to learn or reluctant to make the effort to learn?
The world of technology is not for the faint of heart. Every day something new evolves and only those who live inside the digital world every moment of their lives can stay atop of the many diverse changes. I'll be the first to admit I don't know many things. But I have also realized that part of the journey is being able to know where to go when I have a need to learn and know who I can connect with virtually or in person when I need that extra help.
Here's to those who are willing to take a few risks, and get a few bumps and bruises along their learning journey!
Post a Comment