Some Features of a Great Teacher

Teaching is difficult work and a few lecturers never grow to be something higher than mediocre. They are doing the clean minimum needed and really very little a lot of. The good lecturers, however, work inexhaustibly to make a difficult, nurturing atmosphere for his or her students. Nice teaching appears to possess less to try and do with our information and skills than with our perspective toward our students, our subject, and our work. Here are some characteristics a good teacher should have:

1. A good teacher respects students. In an exceedingly nice teacher’s room, every person’s concepts and opinions are valued. Students feel safe to specific their feelings and learn to respect and hear others.

2. A good teacher creates a way of community and happiness within the classroom. The mutual respect during this teacher’s room provides a ancillary, cooperative atmosphere.

3. A good teacher is heat, accessible, glowing and caring. This person is approachable, not solely to students, however to everybody on field.

4. A good teacher sets high expectations for all students. This teacher realizes that the expectations he/she has for her students greatly have an effect on their accomplishment.

5. A good teacher has his own love of learning. And evokes students along with his passion for education and for the course material. He perpetually renews himself as an expert on his quest to supply students with the very best quality of education attainable.

6. A good teacher may be a expert leader. Completely different from body leaders, effective lecturers specialize in shared decision-making and cooperation, likewise as on community building.

7. A good teacher will “shift-gears” and is versatile once a lesson isn’t operating. This teacher assesses his teaching throughout the teachings and finds new ways in which to gift material to create certain that each student understands the key ideas.

8. A good teacher collaborates with colleagues. Instead of thinking of herself as weak as a result of she asks for suggestions or facilitate, this teacher views collaboration as the way to find out from a fellow skilled.

9. A good teacher maintains expertness all told areas—from personal look to structure skills and preparation for every day

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students (adults). The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college. 

These professional qualifications may include the study of pedagogy, the science of teaching. Teachers, like other professionals, may have to continue their education after they qualify, a process known as continuing professional development. Teachers may use a lesson plan to facilitate student learning, providing a course of study which is called the curriculum.

A teacher's role may vary among cultures. Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills.

A teacher who facilitates education for an individual may also be described as a personal tutor, or, largely historically, a governess.

In some countries, formal education can take place through home schooling. Informal learning may be assisted by a teacher occupying a transient or ongoing role, such as a family member, or by anyone with knowledge or skills in the wider community setting.

Brazen

BRAZEN is a British television show that was filmed on location around the entire United Kingdom. Aired on Men and Motors cable/satellite channel in the United Kingdom, operated by ITV Digital. The programme refers to itself as 'Brazen Central', but can be found in the listings as 'BRAZEN'.

A combination of pranks, reality TV interviews, 2D animations and stop-motion animations, apparent home video clips and User-generated content and sketches. Often cited as the follow-up to the notorious UK Uncovered, the series disappointed many fans of the earlier series due its over-reliance on graphics and the fact that its content was much tamer and seemingly "cleaned up".

Dear NYC School District,

My name is Brazen.

I applied with your school district back in January. In the days of my youth (read: High School) I dreamed of working in your glorious town. As I grew older the allure of your tall glittering buildings and swanky people, faded somewhat. The reality of 1600 dollar rent to live in a closet, while breathing the most polluted air in the United States, seemed less appealing than it had when I was 16.. But what the hey right? I figured the universe would lead me where I should be if I put some feelers out in all directions.

Somewhere in or around March you created a new website. This was to make applying for a position "easier." I was sent an email requesting that I create a profile and apply again. I did this happily- although I admit your application process is a rather tedious one.

A few days later I was contacted by an actual person. I was so excited. They requested a copy of my teaching license. I spent 10 dollars at Kinkos- wow! They sure take advantage of the scanner-less population. I sent you a pdf copy of my license. Surely I thought- I would get a phone call soon.

But four months passed and I heard nothing. I received mass emails directing me to your website where I could search for job postings. But I must admit, following the obscure directions on your site was tedious. Alot of work, for not very much reward, if you would like my honest opinion. I decided a relationship between you and I just wasn't meant to be.

And now here we are, three weeks before I am about to start my school year in lovely Ohio.

Hark! Is that an email in my inbox? Why it is...

An invitation to a job fair... in FOUR days.

I understand that organizing these types of functions must be a bit overwhelming. As I grow older (and presumably wiser) I have discovered that districts hire teachers as late in the summer as possible. Watching the newbies scramble to set up their classrooms and find an apartment in three days must be amusing, if not wholly miraculous.

But I digress. For here I am on my last day of vacation in North Carolina. As my family and I head back to Ohio this afternoon- I realize that once again a relationship between you and I can never be. And I feel let down. Should you organize your Blackberry a little better next time, perhaps I could have more than 24 hours to rustle up the some 300 dollars in gas and hotel money that I will need to make the trip. Not to mention planning how I will navigate your public transportation system, and locate LaGuardia High School- in one of the largest school districts, in one of the largest cities- in the world.

Just a thought.

Sincerely,

This Brazen Teacher

The Teacher is now the Student. Part duex.

"You do not see things as they are, but as you are" -Anais Nin

My alteration of this quote is:

"You do not teach what you know, but what you are."


I bring this up here because right now I am dreadfully unhappy. I am not Being What I Would Like to Be, and until I learn to do this... I will not be going Where I Would Like to Go anytime soon.

*As I pay yet another speeding ticket instead of my car payment,
*As I pay a shady payday loan company from a dishonest dealing from May, instead of having spending money on this vacation,
*And as I fight the urge to withdraw the last fifty dollars from my savings account- which is the only thing making me feel like I'm trying to save for my dreams of travel...

I see this.
This one glaringly apparent problem here.
The responsibility for all of the above falling directly into my very Brazen lap.

In the past I've blamed The Man. My Upbringing. Paris Hilton. I've always fantasized that blaming her would be the most enjoyable. But in the end it's only Me that is causing all of this, which of course is much more boring to write about.

Coupled with the fact that I'm trapped in a beach house with my beautiful, successful little sister who has an equally attractive successful husband. Who are as you can imagine much better with their money. While they call each other "babe" and share stories of traveling to Punta Cana and Vegas this year. Or share which style of tile they chose for their new kitchen floor-- I am starting to feel like... a lo-oooo-se-er.

And you know, I don't really want her life. I never have. That kind of life makes me want to vomit, to tell you the truth. But it sure seems much less scary than mine. As I lay in bed contemplating this last night, I found myself fighting the classic teacher fear- the one they never admit to others- but all feel at one point (or many points) in their careers:

"If I'm so terribly bad at [insert flaw(s) here] is it a good idea for me to be hired as the example for the future of our world?"

The last thought I had as I drifted off into an "almost sleep- but not quite yet" state was:

I feel powerless.

Which would explain a lot. It just had not occurred to me up until that very moment. And I don't need to learn that I have "power." I am aware that I could- in fact- be immensely powerful. I'm also quite good at reflection, as is evident by this blog. It's the acting on said reflections that can be problematic. So I'm sitting on quite a bit of knowledge, wisdom etc... and yet feel frozen when it comes to actualizing any of it. As I have cycled in my life, between feelings of vast intelligence, and not using this intelligence to solve my dilemmas, for um, 28 years... one could say my self worth has eroded a bit.

And I don't need to list my good qualities, dear readers. I promise you, I know I have worth better than anyone. But why won't I use it?

And WHY in God's name wasn't there a class on this when I was growing up? I would have signed up for a class like that.

Public Ed doesn't realize it, (does the Devil know he's Evil?) but this institution cuts humans off from a large part of themselves. Whispering into children's ears for twelve years- "I have what you need. I have what you lack." And I know that five year olds don't know multiplication or how to write prose. So don't come at me with that argument.

I'm talking about the way we teach them to learn. We don't teach them to feed themselves. We just teach them to open their mouths.

Is it any wonder then, that when we all are faced with dilemmas that only we can fix ourselves...

We feel powerless?

I'm tired of feeling angry about the systems.
But it's just so hard to fix them.

Life Teachers: To my Aunt Anne

Brazen's on VACATION! Driving to the Outer Banks, North Carolina to visit with my extended family for beach shenanigans and bonding.

Today's teacher-ly message is in regards to a recent national news story. Unless you are a hermit, you have no doubt heard about the church shooting that occurred in Knoxville, Tennessee last week.

I avoid discussing the media's barrage of fear inducing coverage, but this story is personal- since the church you see at left- is the one her favorite Auntey and Cousin attend.

I was riding in Eddy's Sweet Corn Challenge the Sunday it happened. After completing one of the hardest bike rides I have participated in as of yet, I was feeling on top of the world in an "I want to pass out" kind of way. When I got the phone call from my mother, I answered with a breathless and exuberant:

"Hey Ma!"

"Hi honey..."

I went into a full on account of the bike adventure I had just partaken in- too excited to pick up the hesitant undertones. She patiently listened.

"And the last five miles were UPHILL, and my legs were screaming... and they have fresh sweet corn, it is SO good..." I won't elaborate on my boring small talk here, I can be a self centered individual. But eventually I got around to: "So how are you?"

(Reactionary silence)

The first thing she chose to say was the disclaimer:
"Well... first off I just want to say that Aunt Anne is OKAY..."

She then explained via quivery voice that my Aunt had been at Sunday service during a shooting, she knew at least one had been killed...

And it's funny because as she continued to explain that my Aunt was fine, and my Cousin wasn't even there, I still thought fleetingly: But is she OKAY? Like the words weren't enough to make me believe it.

So we're all hoping this upcoming vacation is good for my Aunt.

And since it's been a topic around family dinner tables in all the extensions of this Brazen Family- I've done a lot of reflecting about this. One sentiment I've heard repeated from my own family members, as well as on the news is:

"I just don't understand how someone could do that!"

Usually followed by:

"He's such a sicko."
"I hope he gets what's coming to him."
"What a monster."

You get the picture.

And as the wheels churn in my brain- as they often do. Well okay... ask they always do, I think of my favorite Auntey's sentiments as a psychiatrist who has her own practice in West Knoxville.

"No one is crazy in the classic sense. People like to simplify the situation into "normal and not normal" but there is no such thing. No one does "crazy" things. They only do things that make sense. So if someone murders strangers- there must be something going on in their minds, to make that action 'seem like the best option.' And that's how you heal people. You must see things how they see things. As soon as you say: 'I just don't get it...' you detach yourself, and allow the problem to continue."

She said that to me when I was in High School. And I never forgot it. I find it ironic that the same woman who shared this knowledge of the human condition with me, was in a church last week while a man opened fire on people he didn't know. A lesson she taught me, and that admittedly I'm hoping might come across in this post.

Compassion isn't just for New Age sissies. Professionals with PhD's in psychiatry happen to think it's the only way to make lasting change in the human condition. Thanks Aunt Anne. Thank you for being the best kind of teacher there is- the kind who teaches by being. Being the change you wish to see in the world.

Teaching Ambition

I woke up last Monday at 6am with what one could call a panic attack.

In the wake of my drive to become superwoman who:

Serves tables,
Plans lessons for next year,
Works in an Art Gallery,
Sells Art,
Trains for road bike events,
Blogs,
Balances her checkbook,
Attends social events with friends,
Visits my family,
AND looks fresh and clean doing all of this....

I became slightly... undone. Unhappy if you will.

In an effort to calm myself down- while still in bed that particular morning- I craned my neck to look outside of the window which is located right behind my bed. And this is what I saw:

It was much more stunning in real life I promise you. The lake I live by is just past those houses. And as I watched the sky change from violet, to pink, to blue, I had a thought that I heard in my head, more than I actually thought it. The kind of thought that makes you wonder:

"Was that from me?"

I thought:

"It's completely possible to live in heaven, and feel like you're in hell."

Here I was living in the most beautiful setting, with nothing but time on my hands, and oodles of talent to exploit... and was panicking? About the pressure to BE certain things? So I decided to get up (at 6am) and go for a bike ride and enjoy some of the "heaven" I had been missing out on.

The canal view at the top of my street


My neighbor. So jealous.


Portage Lakes State Park






Paradise is right outside my front door, and I have spent more than half of my summer fretting about all of the "stuff I must accomplish" in order to be "better."

Should schools try to harbor ambition in it's students?

My opinion is a very resounding: NOPE.
It really busts my buttons that Public Ed (check that- our whole freakin' society) conditions children that in order to be happy they must:

Get a respectable and/or high paying job
Be AMAZING at that job
Be a home owner
Have a significant other
Contribute to the economy
Be a good consumer and have all the latest shit

You think I'm making this up? Eliminate any one these off your "have list" and people will start to judge you, especially as you get older. I'm just saying.

Is it no wonder then, that we have a society full of people who have everything, and feel little happiness? As children they were disconnected from what they loved to do/who they wanted to be, and then reintroduced to what they HAD to do/be in order to be accepted.

I read the below excerpt about ambition from a book called Think On These Things by : Jiddu Krishnamurti. This guy fires up a lot of people. He says things that go against much of what modern society has taught us to value.

Observe all people who are ambitious. What happens when you are ambitious? You are thinking about yourself are you not? You are cruel, you push other people aside because you are trying to fulfill your ambition, trying to become bigger, thereby creating a society in conflict between those who are succeeding, and those who are falling behind.

There is a constant battle between you and the others who are also after what you want; and is this conflict productive of creative living? Do you understand or is this too difficult?

Are you ambitious when you love to do something for it's own sake? When you are doing something with your whole being, not because you want to get somewhere, or have more profit, or greater results, but simply because you love to do it- in that there is no ambition, is there? In that there is no competition; you are not struggling with anyone for first place. And should not education help you to find out what you really love to do so that from the beginning to the end of your life you are working at something which you feel is worthwhile and which for you has deep significance? Otherwise for the rest of your days you will be miserable, your mind falls into boredom, routine and then decay and death.

Any thoughts from the class?