TEACHERS ARE "SEED", TOO!
Teachers sometimes need to be seeds, just like their students. It is through this process, we are able to improve our skills and become better at our jobs of tending the seeds in our care. These times for teachers are sometimes through conversations with other teachers, rather than being planted in a garden. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Twitter chat with other teachers not only in Ohio, but around the country. Each Thursday, at 8:30 p.m., the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM) hosts a Twitter chat. On January 30, the chat’s title was “Generational Trauma: Learning our students to foster systematic change”.
There were five questions that asked teachers to discover their roles in their students’ lives. I was riveted by the multiple view points, along with having some of my opinions matter. The first question asked us to consider different learning types. There are some students that learn differently than others.
The second question dealt with ensuring all children feel as though their learning is important, even if they are not able to accomplish a certain task as quickly as others. I believe it is important to help every student succeed. Some just need a little more help than others.
I was impressed by the discussions that centered around the ensuring that each student have the ability to “find” their own way through a subject. Students that are given this opportunity are empowered and more receptive to the subject matter when they have the ability to discover the answer on their own. I believe this is very important in solving mathematical problems. I have always viewed math in a number of ways, sometimes not the same way as the teacher. I enjoyed having the freedom to find my own way to solve an equation.
I really enjoyed the chat and the opportunity to discuss these issues with others, not as a future teacher, rather as a colleague. It was a refreshing and enlightening evening. I am looking forward to my next chat.
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