My favourite teacher made me do it!
Growing up I hated school (sound familiar to you?) It was never an environment that I flourished in, and as a result I was (as many of us become) the class clown! This fuelled self-doubt, anxiety, and the?general feeling of ‘I am not smart or academic enough’...a few teachers even confirmed this for me verbally, which felt... less than great! ?
As adults we look back on our time in compulsory education with dread, and then diagnose ourselves as disliking education based on a framework of mandatory attendance, subjects we did not enjoy or choose, and we do not even consider the fact that we were children at the time! That educational experience almost happened to a completely different person... yet we linger to the feeling and take it with us into adulthood. ?
Fast track 5 years from college and guess what I became... a teacher! ?
During my initial teacher training I thought back to the teachers that I liked and disliked, and wondered why I felt that way? I landed on the conclusion that I valued my teachers largely on how they made me feel about myself, with the biproduct being I achieved far greater things when I had a cheerleader as a teacher (rather than a critic!) ?
领英推荐
Think back to your favourite teacher at school, college or university - was it their knowledge of science, math's, English that made you feel that way, or something harder to articulate? Having managed and taught teacher training provision within the public and private sector I am of the strong opinion that the best teachers are born to do it. Yes, you can teach strategies and tools to become more competent at curriculum design, assessment methodology, delivery techniques, etc., but can you teach a person to empower others, inspire, create trust, be creative, care, treat each student based on their own specific journey... I believe this in unteachable. This is either you, or it is not. ??
Outstanding teachers are dual professionals, they are also the outstanding leaders of the generations in front of them. ?
For that, thank you Mr. Mick Riddell (my year 5 primary school teacher) who let a dyslexic, awkward and academically shy child do things slightly different, because you realised to get the best from me you had to teach me differently... or lead me to excellence some other way. So, why did I become a teacher... my favourite teacher made me do it!?
Administrator of Education and Training at Minerva Elite Performance
6 个月Love this article Craig Smith DipHE, CMgr MCMI. Mrs Shaw @Elfrida Primary School - STH London, who saw a talent in me and helped fund music lessons that my family could have never afforded, thank you??
Defusing threats and reducing risks for security providers, private clients & organisations using behavioural threat assessment & management | Spear’s 500 Top Recommended | Chartered Security Professional | Author.
6 个月My favourite teacher has had a lifelong impact on me. They are so important.
A great article Craig Smith DipHE, CMgr MCMI. I remember Mr Williams in secondary school. After repeatedly getting sent out my my maths lesson, likewise being the fool, my way of avoiding both Pythagoras and trigonometry as they made no “real world” sense to me. Mr Williams would always seem to be passing by to collect me, by pulling me by the ear… it was ok in those days…. taking me to woodworking and explaining mathematics in a more vocational way. He was inspiring!