It's the Final Countdown 🎶

It is truly unbelievable that is the last week of the semester. We made it! I want to leave y’all with my three biggest failures and how our Pedagogy class helped me learn from each one. I hope you will appreciate them as much as I do.

Failure #1: Go above and beyond what is expected because students will appreciate it.

HA, wrong! I’m sure some can relate to me on this one. In the beginning of the semester, I would create elaborate PowerPoints, make copies of CIA activities, and even accept Online Activities past the due date if the majority of the class did not turn them in. While I thought the class would see how much extra work I was putting in for them to succeed, I soon realized they simply did not appreciate it. Not only did they not appreciate it, but they weren’t learning because they expected me to hold their hands through it all. I learned through this failure that while it is important for instructors to become prepared to class, real learning can only happen when the students take responsibility in their learning. Elizabeth F. Barkley stated, “We can help them by reversing our typical roles in the classroom. Instead of standing in front of the classroom working hard to present information as clearly as possible to students who are expected to sit quietly  and absorb it, we can set up conditions where they are doing more of the work.”

Failure #2: Try and act super professional and smart so the class takes you seriously.

On the very first day of class, I walked in incredibly nervous. I was nervous of feeling judged and for a group of 30 people to think I am an idiot. Initially, I was going to put on a whole performance as this incredibly gifted scholar who was serious and strict to avoid this. However, when I walked in, I introduced myself and said something along these lines:

“Although this is my first time teaching and I am still learning, trust me when I say I have been in your shoes before. I have been the A+ student, I have been the student athlete, I have been the student that didn’t care about the class, I have been the student that has not shown up to class for a month because they were too depressed to get out of bed, and I have been the student that was able to figure out how to turn it all around. This is a class you will do well in because I am already your biggest fan.”

While Stan Fish would find the nearest trash can to vomit in if he was in class that day, looking back on that first day of class made me realize how vital it is to maintain your identity within the classroom. Echoing the teachings of Palmer, teachers should always remain authentic and teach from their true selves. By remaining authentic, I am able to teach students at a much deeper level than if I were to act like someone I am not.

Failure #3: You can change the lives of all students if you try your hardest.

It took me until Week 15 to realize that I will not be able to change every student’s life and that’s okay. I was having a conversation with a colleague about how some of our students had stopped attending classes and turning their assignments in which resulted in them potentially failing the class. Initially, I took this as my own responsibility. However, I realize that unfortunately, there will be times where we must be the teacher in which the student learns from through failure. My freshman year of my undergraduate degree, I received a 1.9 GPA. However, this had nothing to do with the quality of the teachers or their lack of doing something. Coming from an extremely small high school where I received everything I wanted without trying, I just had to learn through failing classes that I needed to put in the extra work in college. After then, my GPA improved every semester.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My big take-away is that teaching this semester has truly given me a new appreciation for every teacher, coach, and mentor I’ve had. Until you are put in the position of authority or responsibility, it is difficult to understand how much effort and care our teachers put into what they do (holla' at John Dewey for the experiential learning). The structure of academia and sports are very similar. Typically, you have one individual who is seen as the authoritative figure while a group of individuals are expected to learn from the one individual in order to achieve a common goal. Both of these structures can frustrating for both parties, there is something so unique and special about the bond made between the these individuals that make every struggle seem completely worth it in the end.

"Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you." -Eddie Robinson

#Pedagoalie