Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or do You Educate?

I became interested in being an educator after my children were born. It has been one of the things that I have really become passionate about because I can see the results in my kids. I feel extremely rewarded when I can see them learn and grow as little people and how fast it can happen with a clear goal.

I intend on educating by being a mentor and educating by example. Kids learn more and retain more knowledge when they can relate and see that is useful in everyday life. I can remember in high school, my peers were always complaining about math and how it was pointless and something they would never use. I think this is because they were not shown by the teacher how you DO use math everyday. It tends to stick in our brains and become a story that we may never forget, and it's all due to the style of educating our teacher is doing while in the classroom.

Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!

This was an awesome post with a clear message. Most people cannot think outside the box! This lady frantically comes in his classroom freaking out about kids taking pencils home and the effect it will have on standardized tests. Even after Mr. Johnson explains to her that it's ok, he has a solution by keeping the children engaged, she is still a non-believer. If there is one thing that bothers me, is pessimistic people that refuse to try to solve a problem first and then you may freak out if it becomes impossible. I hate to be defeated, it makes me crazy. In this case, even more so than others when dealing with a low income school is when you make these adjustments to try and make these kids learn. If it means they can take pencils home, then LET them! It's all up to the teacher as to the outcome of these types of situations!