My Evolving Lens on Literacy

I thoroughly enjoyed the readings on teaching and learning and the strategies presented in the seminar.  The readings represent my thoughts and feelings about my current views on teaching.  From Barnes’ first sentence, “It would be a mistake to think that what a teacher teaches is quite separate from how he teaches,” I was captivated.  Since beginning these Masters courses, I find myself delving deeper into what I do in the classroom.  I’m starting to firmly believe that a teacher’s personality plays a large role in how students learn and how much they learn.  I am very interested if where on the grid I fit in between a Transmission and Interpretation teacher.  I enjoy dialoguing with my students about various topics related to the curriculum.  I encourage them to think and be sceptical.  I want them to form their own opinion, not feel the need to agree and follow mine.  I’m thinking that this puts me more on the Interpretative side, but I guess that depends on the lesson and day.

                Although I do not participate in these conversations and most times, just end them, it interests me in what students think of their other teachers.  I hear about the “piles of useless work” (which makes me think Transmission) and “he’s so funny...I love that class” (Interpretational).  To explain myself: knowing the teachers that the students are talking about and I see the work and assignments they give their students (their offices are nearby), I form a judgement (bad, huh?).  I do not make these judgements harmfully, but more internalize them.  How do I make myself the ‘likable’ teacher – not that it’s a popularity contest?  But I think that the students respond better to learning if they enjoy the classroom/teacher they have.  It’s all part of the positive learning environment.  This positive relationship needs to exist.

I think that there is something to be said about listening to students and making the classroom environment more personal.  I enjoy telling my students stories about myself.  Their feedback is that they enjoy listening and they feel more comfortable sharing their experiences.  This is what I believe is part of the learning process.  I’m ok with making mistakes in front of my kids (most of the time).  I feel like it breaks down barriers and puts us more on a level playing field, similar to what Murray and Palmer discuss in their articles.  I feel like being real with my students makes me more human to them and they to me.  I do not believe in an ‘us vs. them’ mentality that I, unfortunately, find to be a common theme in the staffroom.

My favourite quote is from the Picene article: “to really learn how to fly”.  I think this sums up what we want from our students.  We want them to leave our classrooms and use their heads – use their good judgement – and go out into that big world and think for themselves.  Rough landings (mistakes) are okay as long as they become learning experiences.

                This brings me to the strategies we were introduced to during the seminar.  I really enjoyed the birthday card strategy.  I felt like I really benefitted from listening to how others interpreted a single card and all the hidden messages a simple (or so I once thought) birthday card holds.  It is a great activity of discourse analysis for students.  Social languages, perspectives, culture and media can be discussed with a birthday card.  These cards make underlying assumptions and send messages to kids about their gender.  I’m excited to try this activity with my Grade 11 Parenting class when we discuss gender roles and gender identity.  I would like to challenge my students by assigning them with the task of making gender neutral cards.  I’m astonished at myself to think that even when I’m not thinking, I’m making a decision or judgement when it comes to a card.  I’d like my students to realize this as well.  In class, we discuss transgendered children, and their struggles.  Messages are being transmitted effectively through cards that do not include children who struggle with their identity.  I’d like to teach my students to be aware of these underlying messages, and challenge them to come up with solutions.

                I will really benefit from the “What’s Your Stance?” strategy as well.  It caters to the multiple intelligences in the classroom.  It allows for a variety of ways to access knowledge.  I love being more creative with assignments and assessments.  This strategy is also beneficial to mid to low students.  It allows them to express their knowledge without being trapped use having to use words, grammar and sentences.  This approach can be used with different age groups as well, with varying levels of thought depending on the class.  It accesses various approaches and gives way to deeper thinking.  It teaches that there are always other perspectives to be aware of.  Depending on our purpose and audience, we come to different conclusions and see things differently.  This approach will help me on my road to developing well-rounded thinkers and learners.

                I feel the same way about sketch to stretch.  At first, I didn’t know what to draw or what was expected of me or my drawing.  As we shared, our sketch to stretches, I realized how different all our images were.  I then realized what the point of the activity was.  We all have our varying perspectives.  The lens in which we view our readings or stories are all different, and thus, the different images – all valid, I might add.  At one point, I think I would have preferred to write instead of draw my thoughts or inferences, but I feel more of an accomplishment with illustrations.  I also think that from a teaching perspective, this activity gives the opportunity for those students who struggle with words to express their understanding.

                As I continue with these courses, I am enjoying teaching more and more each day.  It is building my confidence – not necessarily because I am more sure of myself, but because I feel more open to new thoughts, methods and constantly questioning or pondering my lessons and changing them.  I feel like I am becoming a better teacher by opening my views and ways of doing things.  I hope that as I open myself up to more perspectives, I am teaching my students to do so as well.