Mid Program Reflective Paper

Learning has always been enjoyable for me. I remember questioning everything as a youngster. My dad always wondered where I came up with all the questions I constantly asked. (I still ask lots of questions, which I think is important in the learning process.) As an elementary student, I loved school and credit the teachers I had. I can still vividly remember many of the classroom experiences and discussions, so obviously the lessons were taught with enthusiasm and were enjoyable. I remember enjoying the methods of learning such as spell downs and around the world math skills. I imagine part of my enjoyment of those activities was because I was a good student and considered smart. Smart to me and my classmates was "doing well and getting the answers right." To me, those methods and activities were the encouragement for me to go into teaching. Those days of enthusiastic learning were a groundwork for me and I still find myself looking back on those days and using teaching methods I remember in my own teaching experience.

As a high school student, studying was difficult for me and I found myself struggling with some coursework. Lecture oriented classes became difficult for me after the learning activities I had once excelled at. Smartness was now determined by grades, and I found that not everyone could do well at book learning, without those activities and methods from elementary school. During high school, I started to notice and question teaching methods. I found I still wanted to be a teacher, but I focused on the elementary level.

As I learned about critical pedagogy in this course, I reflected on my learning experiences in high school. What the teacher knew was not relevant to me at the time because I could not identify with the concepts. There was no connection to my life or questioning of my experiences to help me understand the information or how to put it to use. I can't remember being asked to relate this information to my life and how I could use it, which would have made a difference in my learning experiences. A discussion from the course this summer reminded me that if people are engaged they learn more. An important point to remember.

As I face the time span in my life between my ten year high school reunion and my ten year college graduation, I have done a big change in my attitude about teaching. Part of the change has come because I did not become that classroom teacher I had always dreamed of. I had to combine much of the formal training I received with the practical things I had observed over the years. It has been difficult to balance and change my approach. Success became the new determination in "smartness" at this stage. Success is now defined with a job, salary, marriage, kids or owning a home. Grades no longer matter, it became the game of life and how you were playing that game.

I take pride in calling myself an educator, because I value sharing knowledge with others. I credit the learning experiences I've had throughout my lifetime as the basis for my desire to teach. I was inspired by teachers to be curious and I learned so much through exploration, which was encouraged by many of my teachers. I also feel those experiences have opened my eyes to many methods of teaching and opportunities to learn. Due to these experiences, I feel called to share with others so they can explore and be curious.

Challenges for me as an educator vary from day to day. Some days my challenges are broad and I don't even know which direction I would like to go. I have found myself asking my District Director and Extension Committee what they would like from me. Would they prefer me to do many programs on a variety of topics, such as a one hour environmental program, to lots of audiences, or should I specialize and do more lengthy programs to a more specialized audiences. I often see more of a change in behavior when I spend more time with an audience and can focus on a topic. This also allows me to get to know them and understand their background and need for information. On the other hand, I feel I am broadening horizons and experiences when I can introduce a topic to an audience and invoke some curiosity to have them explore further than their current knowledge. I am challenged personally about what is a better use of time. I often ask the question of co-workers to see how they balance this issue. Unfortunately, many co-workers don't take the time to reflect and evaluate their position on this, because their plate is full and they are just getting things accomplished that are on the calendar. I find I have begun to ask more questions, of myself and others. Why do I do that? How do you know that? How does this information change the experience?

Teaching is my true love, and I have found that learning experiences are helpful to my teaching. I can't imagine how some teachers enjoy their work when they quit learning or attending additional educational courses. In just eight years of non-traditional teaching, my teaching has evolved greatly. I can use my new learning as activities or resources to supplement the teaching. I've also used reflection while teaching to enhance the learning experience, both for myself and the students. Asking the learner to look back and remember their past may help them to learn or recognize things they had learned or experienced, which they can build on. Sometimes asking for reflection can trigger something stored in the memory bank can enhance the learning or be shared with others for the same enhancement.

I need to ask myself some critical questions about my teaching experiences and what the goals are. Can I be effective with "flash in the pan" programs if I use the right techniques to maximize the students learning? Are long term programs effective if the student isn't engaged? Feedback from others will also be helpful in evaluating the programs and my teaching methods. Critical reflection will help me to become a better teacher and educator, but will also help me to practice those techniques.

As I learned about Transformative Learning in this course, the key word is change. The reason I can identify with change is because you experience a change in thinking, not only for yourself and how you approach things, but you should also notice a change in students. Whether it's a change in attitude about learning or how they now view learning. You might begin to notice a change in families because of the student, or a change in the learning environment in the school building. But change begins to happen, although you may never see it happening. You might notice the impacts of the changes as students have enthusiasm or concepts come much easier to students as they can relate to experiences they have had which aid their learning.

As an educator, I have learned that I am not the most important piece of the learning process. I had always been under the assumption that what I brought to the table as a teacher was the necessary and vital piece of the education. Now, I can see that the contributions brought by everyone to the learning process are essential pieces of the learning. After the ITV learning experience, I find the contributions and experiences contributed by all students has helped me to understand and grasp concepts. As an educator, I need to listen and value the contributions brought by learners and teachers.

When I evaluate how I teach, I need to remember how the contributions of the class factor into the learning. Revising my assumptions and reflecting on the process, as well as progress, are two steps for me to get to a new place in my teaching. I also need to understand where the learner is coming from, such as their background experience and their knowledge base. This is valuable so I can help meet their needs, but also to move them forward by using their comfort zone and experiences to enhance my teaching and their expectations.

Questioning my own teaching process and learner outcomes will be an important step for me as I evaluate my effectiveness as an educator. I believe I am currently a good "teacher" based on my style, my engagement of students and my hands-on approach to learning. But when I consider what the student is needing and experiencing, I need to consider them more often. Practice, practice, practice! The more often I practice the critical reflecting and listening to values and opinions, the better I can serve the learner.

As I reviewed the notes from class, one of the statements about knowledge strikes me. Human beings constantly create and re-create their knowledge. All new knowledge is generated from knowledge which has become old, which in turn had been generated from previous knowledge. Thus, knowledge is in constant succession, such that all new knowledge, when it is established as such, becomes the basis for the knowledge, which will replace it. (Friere, p. 119) This statement makes me realize how much we build on and learn from our experience. When I recall my own experiences and how often I tie my new learnings to my past, I have to agree that we continue to build on our previous knowledge.

I don't view education the same as I did when I was a student. My perception of teaching and being a student were very traditional. Through this course, I have discovered there are unique ways of giving of ourselves and sharing our abilities with others to have them open up and learn in new ways too. My approach to teaching has always been that students are like seeds in the garden. Some sprout and grow quickly, while others need more nurturing to reach their blossom or fruit stage. I now see that the nurturing for some may take a new look as we find ways to look back on their experiences and knowledge to help them blossom. My job is still to be the gardener and plant those seeds and nurture them to grow, but I am not the only factor in their growth. Everything in their environment is important in their learning process as well.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000