Okay... (inhales & and exhales)
Ready? (I hope so!)
Get set. (Brace yourselves)
RANT!
Everything is due!! Whoever said that October is 'Hell Month' needs to reevaluate. Papers on papers! Don't forget that students' papers are due as well, on the 12th. My reaction paper is going to look something like ...................... (This). I am running out of funds to print papers for readings, assignments, reviews, and evaluations. While scratching my beard this morning a gray hair fell on my paper while taking notes and conducting thoughts to write on my final paper. Why do I wake up at six A.M. oh yeah because I need to chase this paper. What will I do after Grad school? I don't know. Hopefully make paper. speaking of paper, rent is due. I don't think I have enough paper. I'm all out of paper plates and I am too busy to stop and wash dishes. If I seriously have to read another paper I think I'll jump off a sidewalk. Oh no!!! I forgot how to make a paper airplane (crumbles up the feeble attempt of the airplane and gets prepared to throw it in Jaime's trash can). Actually, I think I'll just crumble up 5 pieces of paper, pretend like it's basketball, and shot them into Jaime's trash can to relieve myself from some of the stress. (crumbles paper one) Let it rain! (crumbles paper two) Drop that ass! (crumbles paper three) Splash! (crumbles paper three) Expecto Patronum! (crumbles paper four) Expelliarmus! (crumbles paper five) Kobe!! Fuck! I should have said Kawhi, his shooting percentage looks better on paper. My Jaimie would be proud, I made all five papers! Why is her recycling bin always filled with papers?
This week I was observed. The lecture was over the performance chapter. I think that this chapter does a good job condensing performance, however, the activities focus on story telling. I go a bit further and hop on my soapbox and passionately rant about how performance is fluid; the intersection of advocacy, ethics, vulnerability, and intercultural texts; performance, like literature, does something in the world; a device in which we use to come to knowing and convey meaning; and restored behavior; constructs and shapes reality. After class, my colleague condemned me for speaking to my class in such vocabulary and did not like that I named drop theorists grad students learn about. My colleague expressed that everyone does not know this vocabulary and although I am passionate, undergrads are "probably not going to get it like you and I, so stay away from that". I respectfully and whole heartily disagree!
I hate observations for this exact reason. Observations are so one sided and unfair. Observations make me question if my teaching practices are good, but based on what? One perspective. That one person comes into the classroom one time out of the entire semester and critiques the way you run your classroom and vocabulary you use with them. I saw this observation as nothing but a compare and contrast to what my colleague does in their class.
Since when do we limit our students? Why are assuming that students are not capable of obtaining higher knowledge? Do you think undergrads are stupid? Did it ever occur that there has been other days we have talked about important theorists in my class that contribute to our field beyond revel? If knowledge is power I am going to go above and beyond to not only do my job but I want to co-create knowledge. I do not address my students as undergrads, they are young people that are placed in a position to LEARN! Just like Graduate students. So, no, I don't mind sharing WITH them what I learn in grad classes. They are interested and engaged, why restrict them to what is only on revel and blackboard? I do not share everything with them, however, when they do ask me what I am learning I share it with them and together we connect course concepts. Students should not be looked down upon because you think you know a lot more than they do. That's conventional and hegemonic.I hold my students at a higher level, something that my colleague would have known if attended more than one day. I have a more productive question: When are we going stop acting like our students don't have brain capacity and When are we going to start treating them like abled learners? If the word can't implies limit then I can continue to believe that my students are capable of learning beyond limits. If I want to become a great teacher I not only have to understand that I need to push myself beyond doing my job as teacher but, I must push my students beyond their jobs of learning out of a text book.
#Thosewhocan #Donewithranting #Jaymehatesme
omg
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteBeing observed by your peers is such an interesting aspect of being a TA in the Communication department. While I normally have felt that collaboration and observation can help us grow as pedagogues, I am not sure how I feel about the functionality of being observed during class. As I think back to all the teachers I've had, there has been no two teachers that have been the same. Some teachers were loud and in-your-face about the material while others simply lectured and sent you home with more readings. At the time, I would have classified these teachers as either "good" or "bad" in terms of how effective their teaching was. However, now that I am a teacher myself, I have found that ALL the teachers I've had have taught me how to become a better student. While I enjoyed the teachers who assigned no homework and only discussed readings (in which I never read since there was no pressure), the teachers that assigned high-point value tests and would never accept any late work taught me something completely more valuable: To adapt. No matter where we go in life, we will probably have a boss that will have behaviors that differ than our own. However, it's important to learn how to adapt to those behaviors. In short, that's just life.
You are a great instructor and the teaching style you choose is completely up to you. Some students will prosper and some may dislike the structure of your class. However, THAT IS LIFE. The sooner we can teach our students to learn how to adapt, the sooner they will become better employees in whatever job they choose.
Teaching takes teamwork, but sometimes, you just gotta take the lead and score the dang point. #Pedagoalie
Hi Kevin, I hope you are doing well. I know how you feel about the observations I was nervous whenever my colleague observed me. However, like Chelsea said it's rare when two teachers are the same, try no to take their comments personally or even take offense it's just what they think. Although, I do agree with you on sharing information with your students on what you have learned in the grad classes. In the end, students will eventually hear and learn about theses theorist so I believe its better for them to learn now so when they are taking upper level classes, they'll have a better understanding. In addition, they will least recognize the material because their instructor Mr. Howard was kind enough to share the information with them in their 1010 class. Keep doing what you are doing!
ReplyDelete