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| Of course this isn’t China. It’s classrooms. |
I think that one of the truest things that I say is, “We live in an intensely exciting world. Learning about that world should be just as exciting!” This makes teaching, perhaps more than anything else, an adventure. ..and I am certainly in the heart of that adventure, here in Shanghai, working with international teachers, educators who have left their homes, embracing the expat lifestyle — teaching the children of families who are also, world citizens.
It makes for a really tough audience! Part of me feels way out of my league, as I find myself talking with educators with Chinese or Korean accents, British, Australian, or New Zealand accents, German (or was it Dutch) accents. At the same time, I feel very much at home, because I, too, am an adventurer —
because I am an educator.
So much of the adventure of teaching has been sucked out of the profession,
as good teachers
have been twisted into becoming herders,
corralling their students through the standards,
seeking to control kids — rather than empower kids,
as life long learners.
“Black & White Cattle Farming.” Urban Artist’s Photostream. 21 Dec 2006. 15 Feb 2007 <http://flickr.com/photos/10408356@N00/329727547/>.
Although I am not yet a teacher, I have chosen to enter the profession precisely because it will be an adventure, especially with the rolling tide of testing in the U.S. For those of us who choose to utilize emerging technologies and challenge students to think, every day will be an adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed your post.
Reading this blog brings to mind an essay that I myself recently read called “The Banking Concept of Education” by a man named Freire. He basically states the same argument as you, about how various potentially good teachers are trying to control the students as opposed to empowering them. So let teaching be an adventure, and take the students with you; they do serve as teachers themselves, in their own way. To be able to inspire intrinsic motivation within students is the most important thing, I feel. To get them to appreciate that euphoric feeling where the little lightbulb goes on. Getting to that point is an adventure in itself.
As an expat teacher of 15 years and having been one of the same world citizen students as a child, it’s great to see the “adventure” of it all celebrated in your blog!
And you are right, education continues to be the adventure that I signed up for, empowering students to better the world.
Thanks, Dave.
Hi Dave,
Would you and Jeff share more in detail of what the projects that the international educators that you are meeting with are working on? As apart of an international teaching community of practice I would love to learn more. Also, are there any special education teachers there?
Thank you kindly,
Mechelle : )
I’m going to let Jeff field this, though he’s gone off-line for a week in Bali. We each had to leave immediately after our last presentations, which is unfortunate. It would have been quite valuable to have been able to have a closing conversation with him and record it as a podcast.
I know that digital communication is core to what they are after, especially, as they are two campuses a hour appart at NASCAR speeds. But, again, I’ll let Jeff comment when he gets back to Shanghai.
Dear Mr. Warlick:
When asked why I want to become a teacher, I find myself rambling on in several different directions, but I think your point of teachers being adventurers sums up all of my reasons. Each year fantastic new and fresh minds will come to me for knowledge, advice, and sharing of ideas. I believe English Education in particular allows for expression as well as growth for both myself and my students. We can not let ourselves forget that young people are much more than tupperware, simply storing all of the knowledge we place into them. They are our beautifully complicated future leaders. It is our responsibility as teachers to reach students through a balance between our own eccentricity and mandated classroom standards. Showing young people that teaching and learning is a never-ending aspect of life that, when coupled with a sense of adventure, will prove rewarding.