I am a dreamer and a doer, that uses what God has given me to maximum capacity.
Do past challenges motivate me? Sometimes. Is it a desire to prove something that fuels me? Nope. It's for the money then, isn't it? Doesn't last long enough. Then what the heck motivates me?
Great big fluffy dreams, is the answer.
As a child I dreamed about firefighting, running every piece of farm and construction equipment that exists, and driving big semi trucks. Now I do it. LTD
In teaching, I dream of coming to a rural school and building a program that reaches out to students who have huge potential for success, but won't find it in a math class. I dream of offering engine overhaul, welding, construction, electrical, and agricultural classes in a school that has been ever so limited. I dream of creating a shop-classroom, with my students, that they like to be in and that pumps them up to turn some wrenches and burn some metal.
How do I view those I teach?
Eye to eye. The best I can say, is that with my viewpoint I strive to understand and feel what the learner is experiencing, and teach from that. Each student is unique, but I believe that I have common ground with each and everyone of them, and so I teach with that in my sight.
What is my work as learner and teacher?
Keep the fire hot. I believe a large part of my work is keeping enthusiastic! If I am bored with the curriculum, the students are even more bored with it. Likewise if I am passionate and excited about the lessons, the students will be more likely to be excited and passionate to learn it. Something I was told by a teacher whose class I taught a welding lesson to was, "The kids were asking, is he always this happy?" It may be a small thing, but I think that is part of my work as a learner and teacher, to come with a cheerful attitude and hope it is infectious. I realise teenagers can be stubborn and perhaps even too cool to catch that bug, but at least they will learn that not every adult has to hate their job, not even them.
What is worth teaching?
Confidence. Every trade and subject has its importance, but teaching confidence in those trades and subjects gives students power. I believe that principle can apply to any subject, if the teacher is willing and humble enough to do some building. When did I really begin to gain confidence and power from education? University. I learned it when my teacher would say something like, "The electrical system on this tractor doesn't work. The lights have all blown up and nothing else works either. Good luck." He had taught me the basics and then put his confidence in me, can you imagine what that did for my confidence? Where would I be now, if I had been given that lesson in Grade 9? The point I am trying to make, is that by building the person whilst filling their brain, education will succeed because its' users are.
How do I learn?
My favourite way to learn usually involves wrenches, torches, and some very trusting equipment owners. I break things up into systems, and once I understand the smaller systems I can understand the overall much better. Application is also imperative to my learning- my Economics teacher can tell me that MC=MR, but it is internalised is at the point where I see how that applies, "Oh! That is my maximum production level for wheat, before my returns quit covering my fertilizer, fuel, and labour costs!"
Upon what foundation are Canadian public schools founded?
The statistic that 95% of students attend public schools in Canada says a lot about the foundation of the Canadian public school system- it is a solid foundation! They are built upon a foundation of ideas that are to build society, one person at a time, by teaching modes of appropriate thought and behaviour along with the curriculum.
What is the role of school in society?
There are definitely many important facts and abilities that schools must teach in order to prepare its' learners for the future, but I believe another important role of a school is to help students to find their passion that will benefit them and society. Every individual that graduates should graduate with a knowledge that they can succeed at something, and have a love for it. I believe if they had that direction, it would help them and their family greatly, and in turn benefit society (especially considering what other roads they might choose should they graduate in a cloud of confusion without any sense of direction out.) Much of what I have stated infers a need for the educators to help students focus-in on an area where they are passionate. Please do not mistake me and think that I am saying we need to find the one thing the student is good at and help them only get good at that one thing. What I am rather trying to express, is that educators should help students to be informed of where they could go, and once the student shows an interest, come in with strong encouragement.
What changes in the focus of public schooling would I like to see?
When I was in high school, there seemed to be a notion that if I wasn't going to study to be a doctor, lawyer, school teacher, or dentist, I wouldn't have a "real career." There is so much work available in the trades and so many useful skills that people can work hard to gain and succeed at in them, that I would really like to see a greater focus on the trades. I can really envision this benefitting a large group of students and opening a whole new path of success in education and life for them.
How flexible should class projects be, if at all?
In classes focussing on the trades, I believe a certain number of skills should be expected of each student to learn as an outcome of the class. To obtain certain skills, there has to be quite specific projects and assignments that must be fulfilled, but I believe flexibility is extremely important to the growth of the student. The pattern I want to establish in my classes, is that once the students have proven themselves by passing off certain requirements, there should be plenty of time available for them to build and create projects of their own choosing (upon passing my approval). The goal of this flexibility is to promote student's ownership and passion for their learning, while fulfilling the goal of the education system of helping them to become experienced and knowledgable in a variety of trades.
How do I view those I teach?
Eye to eye. The best I can say, is that with my viewpoint I strive to understand and feel what the learner is experiencing, and teach from that. Each student is unique, but I believe that I have common ground with each and everyone of them, and so I teach with that in my sight.
What is my work as learner and teacher?
Keep the fire hot. I believe a large part of my work is keeping enthusiastic! If I am bored with the curriculum, the students are even more bored with it. Likewise if I am passionate and excited about the lessons, the students will be more likely to be excited and passionate to learn it. Something I was told by a teacher whose class I taught a welding lesson to was, "The kids were asking, is he always this happy?" It may be a small thing, but I think that is part of my work as a learner and teacher, to come with a cheerful attitude and hope it is infectious. I realise teenagers can be stubborn and perhaps even too cool to catch that bug, but at least they will learn that not every adult has to hate their job, not even them.
What is worth teaching?
Confidence. Every trade and subject has its importance, but teaching confidence in those trades and subjects gives students power. I believe that principle can apply to any subject, if the teacher is willing and humble enough to do some building. When did I really begin to gain confidence and power from education? University. I learned it when my teacher would say something like, "The electrical system on this tractor doesn't work. The lights have all blown up and nothing else works either. Good luck." He had taught me the basics and then put his confidence in me, can you imagine what that did for my confidence? Where would I be now, if I had been given that lesson in Grade 9? The point I am trying to make, is that by building the person whilst filling their brain, education will succeed because its' users are.
How do I learn?
My favourite way to learn usually involves wrenches, torches, and some very trusting equipment owners. I break things up into systems, and once I understand the smaller systems I can understand the overall much better. Application is also imperative to my learning- my Economics teacher can tell me that MC=MR, but it is internalised is at the point where I see how that applies, "Oh! That is my maximum production level for wheat, before my returns quit covering my fertilizer, fuel, and labour costs!"
Upon what foundation are Canadian public schools founded?
The statistic that 95% of students attend public schools in Canada says a lot about the foundation of the Canadian public school system- it is a solid foundation! They are built upon a foundation of ideas that are to build society, one person at a time, by teaching modes of appropriate thought and behaviour along with the curriculum.
What is the role of school in society?
There are definitely many important facts and abilities that schools must teach in order to prepare its' learners for the future, but I believe another important role of a school is to help students to find their passion that will benefit them and society. Every individual that graduates should graduate with a knowledge that they can succeed at something, and have a love for it. I believe if they had that direction, it would help them and their family greatly, and in turn benefit society (especially considering what other roads they might choose should they graduate in a cloud of confusion without any sense of direction out.) Much of what I have stated infers a need for the educators to help students focus-in on an area where they are passionate. Please do not mistake me and think that I am saying we need to find the one thing the student is good at and help them only get good at that one thing. What I am rather trying to express, is that educators should help students to be informed of where they could go, and once the student shows an interest, come in with strong encouragement.
What changes in the focus of public schooling would I like to see?
When I was in high school, there seemed to be a notion that if I wasn't going to study to be a doctor, lawyer, school teacher, or dentist, I wouldn't have a "real career." There is so much work available in the trades and so many useful skills that people can work hard to gain and succeed at in them, that I would really like to see a greater focus on the trades. I can really envision this benefitting a large group of students and opening a whole new path of success in education and life for them.
How flexible should class projects be, if at all?
In classes focussing on the trades, I believe a certain number of skills should be expected of each student to learn as an outcome of the class. To obtain certain skills, there has to be quite specific projects and assignments that must be fulfilled, but I believe flexibility is extremely important to the growth of the student. The pattern I want to establish in my classes, is that once the students have proven themselves by passing off certain requirements, there should be plenty of time available for them to build and create projects of their own choosing (upon passing my approval). The goal of this flexibility is to promote student's ownership and passion for their learning, while fulfilling the goal of the education system of helping them to become experienced and knowledgable in a variety of trades.
