The Needy Traveler

I have a trying week up ahead: A full day of teaching on Sunday, a short day on Monday because of Parent-Teacher Interviews, a full day of teaching on Tuesday, and then a five-day weekend. (The government declared that the Prophet’s Birthday would be on Wednesday, but students, teachers, and researchers had already made plans for the holiday to be on Thursday, so there is no school that day, then comes the Friday-Saturday weekend, and Sunday is Easter!) Whew! It is going to be strenuous!

As I considered my traveling options for the weekend the other evening, I discovered that I am a bit of a needy traveler! I am perfectly willing to actually go from A to B on my own, but I am less than keen to spend a night in a hotel without a friend to talk about the day and the sights that I have seen. You may think that I am a sissy for not hoping to find another English-speaker with whom I can hang out in the hotel bar, but I simply feel like I need a daily shred of normalcy in a context that is completely different for me! This weekend might be a wonderful opportunity to visit Palmyra, but I am going to hold out until later in the month when I can find a travel buddy. (Most of the other teachers are going sightseeing in other countries, but as I have seen little of Syria itself yet, I would really prefer to stay in one country while I am here!) Instead, I plan on visiting Aleppo’s famous souqs, its Citadel, the many mosques and bathhouses that are more than a thousand years old, and nearby Apamea. I will be making my way through the twisty streets of Aleppo by myself, but at least I will be familiar with the area in which I am wandering. I should even be able to attend Catholic and Armenian Easter services with my new buddy Berdj. Yes, they will be in Arabic, and therefore no, I probably will not understand much of what is going on in the service.

Although I know I should be pushing myself out of my comfort zone, it is also incredibly important for me to be in a positive frame of mind in order to get the most out of my little adventures. (I will definitely be breaking new ground when I have to do my own grocery shopping with Arabic-speaking vendors this weekend!) I imagine that my students also want to have something familiar, even vaguely familiar, to hold onto when learning new material. Stepping into a new classroom, meeting a new teacher, or beginning a challenging new topic can be intimidating for some students, so I suppose that it is my responsibility to frame something brand new in a way that is somewhat familiar to these individuals.

So how do I ask in Arabic “What time does this bus return to the city?”

Motivating Students Through Extracurricular Involvement

With this revival of Humility in Education, I thought it would be best to start off with some posts that are fresh in my mind rather than bringing up concepts or challenges I encountered in the fall. Reflections on the fall will come with time, but let us examine the present for now.

As I returned to a school at which I have already spent two months teaching, I experienced a secret delight at being remembered by students I worked with or taught in October and December; however, it has been particularly fascinating to observe how excited the students I knew from a school leadership camp I helped to supervise were to discover that I would be their teacher for the month. It will be interesting to observe how their excitement is sustained over the course of this practicum as they get to know me as a teacher rather than as a supervisor for an extracurricular activity about which they are particularly passionate. In any case, their reaction to my presence suggests that building a professional relationship with students outside of the classroom can have an impact, at least initially, on student engagement in class activities. It is really affirming to know that participation in extracurricular activities, which can be a real joy for both students and educators, also has benefits that come into the classroom; consequently, I will need to make sure I get involved in the activities of whatever school I find myself at in the coming fall.

Time to Shine

Perhaps being a teacher-candidate is one of the few opportunities in which a person can make a first impression twice. Last week, I was introduced to students as the stranger who would be observing, helping out in class, and, eventually, teaching lessons. Tomorrow morning I will actually teaching for the first time, and in so doing I will be establishing the type of educator that I will be for at least the first seven weeks of my fledgling teaching career.

I wonder if I have given enough thought to how I actually want to act when I step into the spotlight tomorrow morning. Will I be able to move away from the tentative feelings that I have experienced during my first week of my practicum? Can I bring the confident and flexible attitude that I had as a Music & Drama camp leader to the classroom? It was a love of camp and interactions with campers that helped foster my desire to teach.

I imagine that my first class tomorrow will be difficult but that the second will go more smoothly. At least one of my two lesson plans will probably be a bit of a flop, but this flop will also be my first opportunity to learn how to be a better educator the next time around. I feel ready though – I know most of the students’ names, I am familiar with the school, and I have solid lesson plans. I cannot quite remember the best way to manage a class of fifteen-year olds, but hopefully those skills will come back to me.

So what will my second beginning, my second first impression look like? It will be relaxed and confident, welcoming and excited, and have a healthy blend of camp counsellor and professional teacher. Just as the memories of being a high school student came flooding back when I stood up for the national anthem on the first day of my practicum, so will the joy of teaching, leading, and learning return when I pick up my piece of chalk tomorrow.

I remember that joy.
I’m ready. As the great MC Hammer said, “Ring the bell – school’s back in.”

Welcomes, Warnings, and Wonderings

A year ago today, if you had told me that in the future I would be publishing on not one but TWO blogs, I probably would have given a horrified shudder at the thought that I could ever be so dorky.

After one year of blogging and one week of being a part of the Faculty of Education at Queen's University, it seems clear that blogging provides an opportunity to be a reflective practitioner of Education (...or History...or Chemistry...) and to control and enhance one's presence on the Web. With Humility in Education, I hope to consider compelling or challenging issues in education, describe my progress from teacher-candidate to teacher, and share thoughts on how to successfully engage with students.

If I know anything about myself, it is that I set high expectations for myself that I do not always end up reaching. While I hope to post frequently, I apologize in advance if I write no more than once a month. An ironic characteristic of my experience as a univeristy student has been that when I am most surrounded by fascinating concepts and compelling questions, I have been too busy to take the time to reflect deeply on what I am learning. Find yourself a solid aggregator so you don't miss a single pearl of wisdom!

As I look back on my very first post, it still seems relevant to mention a few more points.

The title of this blog is derived from from my first blog, Humility in History. Humility in Education is intended to represent a focus on educating students; furthermore, this title is both an acknowledgement and a reminder that I will make mistakes along the way. Hopefully we can all look back upon those mistakes and laugh!

Thank you for taking an interest in the challenges and successes I face as I grow into a better educator. I hope that this blog will give you a good sense of what I'm personally up to as a teacher and what my profession is grappling with more broadly.

Enjoy!