Hey ladies,
So after talking about real learning more today, I started thinking about the experiences we all bring to our definition of real learning. I'm curious to hear how your teachers have shaped your idea of learning. What's the best teacher(s) you have had and why?
Kendra
I would have to say that Helen Buttemer was one of the best professors I have had because she clearly depicts the role educators have to provide real learning experiences for students. The two main aspects that Helen brought to the classroom that I admired was her genuine love and excitement for biology and her use of hands-on activities to teach every lesson and concept. These things fostered my curiosity for a subject that I previously disliked and encouraged my active participation in discussions and activities. So, I would say that because Helen's lessons were consistently engaging and meaningful as I was able to see how biology played a role in my life, I experienced real learning in her course.
ReplyDeleteI have been quite lucky in my life to have some amazing teachers. If I had to choose just one, it would be Cuauhtemoc Mexica (whose name I will never spell correctly). Mexica was my first Spanish professor here. He is the reason I love the language the way I do and also why I continued to pursue teaching as a career. I had his class my Sophomore year. Freshman year consisted of Business Core classes in which I sat in lecture, listened to the professor speak at me and I quickly took notes. Then I come to Mexica's class, about 20 of us in the class and he wants to know all about our lives. He also rarely let us sit in our seats. We were constantly moving around, speaking to everyone in our broken Spanish. We learned the language by using it, not reciting or memorizing. He gave us applicable lectures such as Fridays were about learning "street talk" in various Spanish-speaking countries. My Spanish improved greatly after having him for 2 quarters. More so than his teaching style, Mexica is a very engaged professor. He found out what we were all passionate about and immediately realized that it wasn't Business but Education for me. He helped me get more involved and brought newspaper articles for me to read. He taught me what it truly meant to be a teacher who is invested in a student's life, both as academic and emotional support. Still to this day, Mexica and I email or meet up so he can help me plan my future. I sit in on his classes and he tells his students my embarrassing stories. Despite not being my formal teacher anymore, I am still "really" learning so much from him. Sorry for the lengthy response; when it comes to Mexica, I could talk for days.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Both of those teachers sound like they were really able to connect with you guys in a personal, real-life way. I also had an English teacher, Mr. Hansen, in high school who was like that. He genuinely wanted to get to know his students. He looked like Santa Clause and loved philosophy. We soon discovered that English wasn't just about books, poems, and dead smart people, but about living, significant ideas. When he wasn't filling our minds with brilliant observations or poetry readings, he sat at his desk and just talked to us about our lives. He recognized my interest in English and was able to help guide me in how I approached essays and the college process.
DeleteSo the take away, I think, is that an excellent teacher connects learning to life (not just their life but ours)