Experience Is the Best Teacher – “Shaping my Teaching Identity”

The service learning experience was a great lean into the world of educating. It was a true test of my patience and taught me things that would not have been possible to fully grasp by just taking a college course. Overall, the process was somewhat frustrating at times, mostly in the beginning, but each week became more comfortable. For all the times I felt lost and stuck for an idea to make Maggie or Nikko understand, the moment when they did finally make that link and suddenly understand was so worth every minute of frustration. I remember there was a day I was trying to teach syllables to Nikko, and he kept getting stuck on “tion”. I wanted him to get it on his own rather than give him the answer right away so I kept writing a few letters in front of the word until we hit one he recognized. On the third or fourth try I put the letters “vaca” in front of the syllable and Nikko smiled for a few seconds before exclaiming “Vacation!” and from then on he has pronounced “tion” with no problems. It may be a minute story but I could tell in his eyes how proud of himself he was, and I was very proud as well.
Another thing that really stuck with me was the constant yelling coming from multiple rooms in just the hallway I tutored in alone. I understand that children can be hard to handle at times, but I thought they took it too far at times. After being in Eli Elementary for a few months now, I decided that being stern is going to be essential at times, however I never want to be like these teachers who have to scream at children in order to gain control and respect. There are many other approaches to gaining respect and positive participation that are just as if not more successful than demanding authority by yelling and screaming at children, who often aren’t trying to be a nuisance but actually do not understand what is expected of them.
After directly interacting with students while presuming a role similar to that of their teacher, I believe even stronger than before how important it is to get to know your students personally, and how much more of an impact the lessons will have on them if it incorporates things they can relate to their cultural background and personal interests. Ira Shor writes in her article”Education is Politics” that “Learning cannot be reduced to purely intellectual activity. It is more than a mental operation and more than facts or ideas transmitted by books or lectures. Education is a complex experience of one kind or another”. Shor pushes the argument that if students have a negative opinion about school and teachers in general, they will not put forth the effort it takes to really grasp and comprehend the basic foundations of education needed to build upon and get the best education they can. The teachers at Eli Elementary were going about discipline the wrong way because by yelling at the students for everything they do, they are obviously going to build a negative opinion of the teachers, and thus their lessons, rules, and everything else that comes out of their mouths. Furthermore, these kids who are acting out against teachers in elementary school, may grow up to be negative and defiant towards all authority figures later in life and end up experiencing seriously rough lives as a result of the consequences.