Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

Let me start by saying that I always knew there was a difference between teachers and educators. Throughout my years in school and college, I have encountered examples of both and I know first hand the difference between the two. Many may disagree and say that teachers and educators are both the same, but after watching the video "Do You Teach or Do You Educate?", they will understand.

I can honestly say that I didn't always know that I wanted to be a teacher. Yes, I would play "school" when I was a child and teach lessons to my stuffed animals, but never did it occur to me that this would be my future career. Ever since I was little, I'd always wanted to be a nurse. That was my lifelong goal. However, when I got to college, reality set in and I realized it just wasn't for me. I happened to come across the education major when I was talking to a friend of mine who was majoring in secondary education. I was so enthralled in how she spoke about the career and how much she wanted to make a difference in the lives of every student she would come across. That conversation got me to thinking about it. I was at a crossroads in my life, I had just had a daughter and I was confused on what I actually wanted to do with my life. In retrospect, I think that this conversation was a sign of some sort. In the short amount of time that I'd talk to my friend, she'd sparked a fire in me that I never knew I had. From that day on, I realized that being a teacher was something that I REALLY wanted to do, I'd just never taken the time to explore all the possibilities. I can honestly say now that I am 100 percent sure that I want to be an educator and I can think of nothing else that I'd rather do.

I believe that many teachers leave college intending on making a difference in the lives of their students. However, this doesn't always happen for many. I've encountered so many teachers who seem like they hate their job and would rather be at home on the sofa watching soap operas. This is not the kind of teacher I want to be. Instead, I want to be an educator. One who inspires their students to reach their highest potential. I want my students to reach goals that they never dreamed possible. I believe that is what an educator should be. Someone who encourages a child when it seems as if no one else will. Of course, being an educator is about teaching subjects and lessons in the classroom, but a teacher should be so enthused about their career that they always take the extra mile. It is so important for educators to show their students the importance of life and finding your own way. So many teachers believe that their job stops when class ends, and that's not the case. I never want my ambition and my love for my future students to die. Hopefully, even after I've been teaching for 30 years, I want to have the same passion that I did on my very first day. I believe that to truly be an educator, you must be passionate about everything you do or say. You must lead by example and give students a reason to want to learn and explore. And when I become an educator, that is exactly what I intend on doing.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home!

I must be honest, at first I was a little caught off guard by the topic of Tom Johnson's blog post "Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home!" Were these two teachers really discussing the negative effects of students taking pencils home? It sort of disturbed me. However, after reading the post, I understood the argument that Johnson was trying to make. No matter what the problem, it is always important to offer solutions whether than arguing about who's right or who's wrong. Regardless of whether Javi or Johnson was right when it came to the fact of pencils influencing low test scores, Johnson offered positive ways that students could use pencils at home because after all, it was inevitable that some students would take the pencils home.

It seemed a bit silly to suggest that the idle use of pencils would influence low test scores, but hey, you can't argue with statistics, right? Johnson tries to explain to Javi that finding solutions to a problem is more important than simply focusing on the negative and trying to drill this into a child's head. I think it was important that Johnson got the parents involved, because after all, teacher's can't always be there. If they provoked positive learning and activities with their children using the pencil, then students would, in return, carry that mindset into the classroom and no longer think of the pencil as just a toy to scribble with.

Even though Johnson believe the statistics to be inaccurate, he still saw the problem and thought of ways to not only address the problem, but to solve it. I believe every teacher should find ways to implement this into their classroom. I can remember when I was in the 2nd grade and my teacher, Mrs. Strope, noticed that I would always finish my work early and as a result, I would begin talking to the other students and interrupt the completion of their own classwork. Instead of scolding me and writing me off as a talkative child, Mrs. Strope took the time to buy workbooks for me to complete on occasions when I finished my work earlier than the other students. When I'd complete an entire workbook, she'd give me a surprise. Because of this, she suggested to my parents that I get tested for the PACE program. I still remember that kind gesture all these years later. Instead of Mrs. Strope focusing on the negative and calling my parents to scold me about my talking in class, she noticed the problem and implemented solutions for it. I hope to do the same in my future classroom.