Why Teach Like Midgley?
I am a veteran 6th grade teacher. I hold a bachelors and a masters degree in elementary education. I have taught in the self-contained elementary setting and in the secondary setting. I have taught in private schools and public schools. I am state certified k-8. I am highly qualified to teach elementary and middle school. But let me tell you about the more important aspects of my career:
I was personally asked by district staff to help facilitate the research course that would be used to aide curriculum writers. I have been a curriculum writer. I am the only employee of my school district who has taught the same grade level in an elementary self-contained setting and in the secondary setting.
In my school, I have been a part of trainings and shared with my colleagues. I have been asked to help pilot new programs. I have mentored new teachers. I have been looked to as a department head (although technically they do not exist). Many of these events have occurred not because I have actively sought them out, looking to promote myself higher. In fact, I am just the opposite type of person. I would rather be in my classroom teaching. I am not an overly social person, so I tend to keep to myself, as many of my colleagues will testify to! They have happened because of the reputation I have built for myself.
Despite all of these roles I have been apart of in education, what means the most to me is my reputation with students and parents. More than one previous student has come back from college to tell me that I prepared them more for college in 6th grade, than any of their other secondary teachers.
For me, that statement speaks volumes. And means more than anything else I have done in my career.
In fact, that statement is exactly why I teach. I believe in hard work. I believe academics should be the priority of our school day. I believe in high expectations with a high level of support for my students.
When I was a fourth year teacher, after my official evaluation, I was asked an interesting question by a very respected admin who had been in the district for many years. He wanted to know if I was such a good teacher because A) I had studied hard at the art of teaching, or B) I was good at what I do by instinct. I must admit, the question definitely caught me off guard. It was my first year in that particular school, and I definitely didn’t see myself at such a level.
I have always believed there are two kinds of smarts: book smarts and common sense smarts (although I often wonder how common those smarts really are these days!) I am definitely a common sense smarts type of person. I do what I do because my gut-instinct tells me that it makes sense and feels right.
Why teach like Midgley? I hope to share my gut-instinct with others, and help guide them to be the best teacher they can be and the teacher they want to be.
What about you? What kind of teacher are you? How do others see you? What kind of teacher do you want to be?
I was personally asked by district staff to help facilitate the research course that would be used to aide curriculum writers. I have been a curriculum writer. I am the only employee of my school district who has taught the same grade level in an elementary self-contained setting and in the secondary setting.
In my school, I have been a part of trainings and shared with my colleagues. I have been asked to help pilot new programs. I have mentored new teachers. I have been looked to as a department head (although technically they do not exist). Many of these events have occurred not because I have actively sought them out, looking to promote myself higher. In fact, I am just the opposite type of person. I would rather be in my classroom teaching. I am not an overly social person, so I tend to keep to myself, as many of my colleagues will testify to! They have happened because of the reputation I have built for myself.
Despite all of these roles I have been apart of in education, what means the most to me is my reputation with students and parents. More than one previous student has come back from college to tell me that I prepared them more for college in 6th grade, than any of their other secondary teachers.
For me, that statement speaks volumes. And means more than anything else I have done in my career.
In fact, that statement is exactly why I teach. I believe in hard work. I believe academics should be the priority of our school day. I believe in high expectations with a high level of support for my students.
When I was a fourth year teacher, after my official evaluation, I was asked an interesting question by a very respected admin who had been in the district for many years. He wanted to know if I was such a good teacher because A) I had studied hard at the art of teaching, or B) I was good at what I do by instinct. I must admit, the question definitely caught me off guard. It was my first year in that particular school, and I definitely didn’t see myself at such a level.
I have always believed there are two kinds of smarts: book smarts and common sense smarts (although I often wonder how common those smarts really are these days!) I am definitely a common sense smarts type of person. I do what I do because my gut-instinct tells me that it makes sense and feels right.
Why teach like Midgley? I hope to share my gut-instinct with others, and help guide them to be the best teacher they can be and the teacher they want to be.
What about you? What kind of teacher are you? How do others see you? What kind of teacher do you want to be?
