Being a "Good" Teacher.

Being a "Good" teacher. What does this even mean? I have struggled with this idea since before I decided to go back to University. Actually, it is one of the main reasons I took so long to decide to finally go back and finish my Bachelor of Education. I want to be not only a "good" teacher but an inspiring one.

We hear so much about good teachers, bad teachers, teachers who ruined somebody's life, teachers who changed someone's life, teachers who taught lessons, teachers who are lazy, teachers who do too much work, not enough work, complain, make too much  money, make too little money, teachers who try to hard, teachers who don't try hard enough.... AHHHHH! It is all a bit to much! How do I find my way into the "Good" teacher, and somehow combat all of those other voices hanging around.

I am aware of the impact teachers have, or don't have.  I hear about it often from our youth and more importantly from other adults. They talk about their teachers and remember distinctly the ones who were terrible, and the ones who were awesome. And the ones who were terrible had just as much of an impact as those who were great.  In reading this you have already thought of that specific teacher. Your remembering all of the good or bad qualities they had.  And, you know how they changed your life.

This will sound a bit cliche, but the most exciting part of teaching for me is getting to know each of my students, not because I want to make learning more meaningful, (isn't that the textbook answer?) but because I am really interested in their story - who they are and who they are becoming. I want to inspire them to follow their dreams and become the best person they can be. I want to help them realize all of their strengths and that their voice matters. BUT. I am teaching English.  These students need to learn how to write essay's, decompose stories, learn about idioms, foreshadowing, plot diagrams, how to critically analyze media, all sorts of things that I should be able to make interesting right?

That is my job, to make learning meaningful.  What happens when you just don't know how to do that? When you are staying up late wracking your brain trying to think of how you can make connections for them, how to teach idioms, how to read a story for its underlying meaning, how to  get the information to them so that when they go to University they are as prepared as I can make them.  HOW do you find time for yourself? When is to much work enough? Is it when have you exhausted all of your creativity trying to be a "good" teacher?  Somehow we have built this standard of teaching that I'm not sure I can live up to.  We have to do everything we can to stay up to date with technology, make lessons inspiring, keep students interested at all times by differentiating in a thousand different ways.  It is all a bit to much.

People tell me that I am a "good" teacher. They can see this by the photo's I post, or by the things I tell them, or because they just know me.  BUT, am I teaching them what they need to know to further their Education? Am I teaching them the things that will get them a good grade on their IELTS, or the TOEFL to get them into a good University. Can they cite references properly on an essay, can they write an essay, and the concept of critical thinking! Yikes! As ESL students these things are proving hard for me to get my message across so they can be successful. How do I help them to write cohesive, non-chinglish words! Am I preparing them for the things they actually need to be successful in our Education system? I know only I can answer that. (and if your a principal reading my blog - obviously! I am doing a great job!)

What I really want is for these students to follow their dreams. I guess this is the hope of a girl who always follows her heart. Luckily, I grew up in a country where I was able to do this. My heart has taken me to many amazing places, and more importantly to meet some wonderful humans.  I don't remember specifically what I learned in high school, what I know is that somewhere a long the line I must have had some good teachers who taught me to think critically, question everything, and lead a truly inspiring life. They taught me that Education comes in many forms, not only in an institution but more importantly, in life.

These teachers, whoever they may have been, have helped me to realize that true happiness comes when you find something more important than yourself and dedicate your life to it. So thank-you to everyone of my teachers, my friends, my family and my co-workers. You are my inspiration.

P.S - I still have no idea if I am doing what I "should" be, what I am doing is getting through day by day, hoping that ten years down the road, the students look back and have learned something that will help them in their future.