“No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.” – James Comer
“Every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.” – Alma 32:31
When I came back from Japan in 2015, I prepared to return to my collegiate education in January 2016. I met up with one of my friends whom I met in Japan, as he was also a student at the very same University.
We got to know each other better than before, became best friends, got engaged, and eventually married (well, it happened a lot faster than I’m making it sound, but oh well).
As we studied together, we began to discover that there was a big difference between the teachers he enrolled with and the teachers that I did, in our respective majors.
I was an education major, and he was in the life sciences. Boy, let me tell you, no one knows how to suck the life out of learning like some life science teachers! And I’ll also tell you that no one knows better how to instill a love of future students and future fellow educators like an education instructor!
Overall, though, I have noticed in my time with my husband, that I would not evaluate many professors at the collegiate level as proficient in teaching, despite their having a vastly greater knowledge than I at many things, including life! But the problem doesn’t lie with how much they know–it lies in their ability to break it down, make it interesting, and assess their students’ understanding formatively.
Because they don’t honestly know what each student already understands, professors may also give too much needless information, contributing to the boredom.
“Wise is the man who says what needs to be said, but not all that could be said.” –Marvin J. Ashton
Now, how do we go about actually implementing good practices in our classroom? How do we strive to teach our students in a way that forces creativity and critical thinking?
Honestly, I am daunted at the idea! It scares me to know that I have one more practicum class, my student teaching, and then I’m off to wreak havoc on the world of my future students, whether I feel I am prepared or not!
In order to calm my nerves, then, I will now take the time to list ways that other teachers have done this very thing for me:
- When teaching a principle, the teacher first gives a real world problem that must be solved!
- The teacher is over-eccentric, but it feels natural because they are consistent and sincere.
- In a dull moment, the teacher stands 10 feet away from the trashcan, with his back to the trashcan, holding a wad of paper in his hand, and jokes, “If I miss this shot, we’ll end class early.” Then, he walks backwards until he is right by the trash can and drops it in. It may sound in bad taste, but it got us all to sit up in our seats and listen! Sometimes, he did throw it from 10 feet away, and still made it in!
- The first day, instead of engaging in material, the teacher initiated a discussion on dignity and respect, and how we could show those ideals in our own classroom.
There are many more ways that I’ve been influenced by good thinkers, and I’ve definitely become a better thinker myself because of it.
If you walk away from this article with anything, I want you to remember this:
Good teachers are too few and too far in between. We then, as future educators, must decide now what we will do to change that.
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Onward! Japanward! 
What a great post and I am grateful for the opportunity to read more about your life and ideals!
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Thank you! I think you’ll find, as you read more of my posts, that I am quite an idealist. I hope you find great insight from the posts to come!
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Tiffany, your last words me ponder about my state. You are right, good teachers are too few. I am still analyzing what do I need to do to be part of the few amounts of good teachers. Thank you!
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Thank you for your honest comment. I know that there are a lot of good teachers out there. I know that if people only knew how to be a better teacher, they would be.
I think the difference between a good teacher and the best ones is that the best ones never stop improving.
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Thank you for your insights. I’ve learned a lot from your post!
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I totally laughed when you mentioned life science teachers sucking the life out of learning. In my own experience, it was always the math and science teachers that I had the hardest time with. In their defense, I didn’t like those subjects very much so I can’t blame it all on them but, it would have helped to have some excitement in the delivery.
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Thank you for your comment! I wonder… math and science are both experimental subjects. But now, it seems we believe that we know everything about them and that the younger generations should memorize all those facts.
Science is all about proving past theories wrong! Math… well.. I can’t say for sure about math. There’s gotta be SOMETHING new to prove about math.
These two subjects shouldn’t only be about memorizing what dead people who came before us discovered. It should be about finding NEW ideas! It should be exciting!
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It is interesting that you and your husband came to a realization of the different teaching styles of the professors and the importance of inspiring others and not to “suck the life out of learning.” Most teachers I imagine would sign up for this calling because of the impact that one of their teachers made on them. You said it beautifully, “no one knows better how to instill a love of future students and future fellow educators like an education instructor!” It is a teachers’ calling to not only educate but to inspire.
I also appreciate your list of ways that your teachers have impacted on your resolve to teach effectively. I am positive that you have nothing to be scared of in preparation for your practicum class. Your wisdom is evident.
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Thank you for your comment. I believe that all professors would perform better if only they knew how.
I believe that all teachers should learn more about how to teach, and that’s why I want to make sure that I am well-equipped for the classroom!
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I like that you add scriptures to the blog. It is true teachers are called to educate and inspire. The savior was our best teacher, he invite us to be like him.
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Thanks for pointing that out! I want to be able to teach more like the Savior.
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