Learning how to be a teacher is hard work. It is fun and interesting, but very hard work. Most of the people that will read this, likely all the people that will read this, know that. Hours upon hours of working with teachers at schools, working with your teachers on pedagogy, and lesson plans and revieweing and re-reviewing state and federal standards for your own and other programs.
On top of the secondary education degree I am also getting my K-12 certification, and working on, thinking like younguns is mighty difficult. Trying to not dumb the ideas down but to make them understanable while keeping hte layers is the most difficult part of that.
As much as it is hard work, it is rewarding, interesting, fufilling., and engaging to be a part of this machine.
I don't know about you all, but I look forward to be being one of the overworked underpaid and completely disrespected teachers in somewhere USA. At least I can go to bed at night realizing that I am making a difference, even if it is small, every little bit counts.
As a future teacher in the arts I can relate to trying to teach things to young students without making it too simple, or "dumbing it down." I am also getting my K-12 certification in my field and it is difficult to learn how and what you are supposed to teach at every level of a child's education. Often in the arts there is no specific way curriculum is supposed to be taught. Often times the standards are rather vague and anything can fit under the various standards that we are given to follow.
ReplyDeleteI think differentiation is important in any form of teaching. You bring up the important point that differentiated teaching--though it should accommodate younger students who are at early stages of their developmental trajectories--should not be so easy that it is insulting to their intelligence. I actually think little kids are amazing and can do a lot more than we give them credit for, especially if the task is well-scaffolded. Thanks for your posting!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. No one but a teacher truly understands all that goes into a lesson, into helping students understand the material. It is hard, but so rewarding and worth it.
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