Years in Education: 11-15 Caucasian Heterosexual Male High School English and Theory of Knowledge Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: When it comes to the external or the obvious identity markers, not a tremendous amount because I teach in a diverse school that is 60% students of color from a variety of cultures, which means that most students do not match my identity--white, US born, heterosexual, middle-class, cis-gender male. However, we share a common curiosity and wonder about the world we live in, and I have learned way more from them than I could ever teach. The strongest bond is that we are learners, and furthermore, we are both teachers. I have worked at my current school for twelve years. When I started about 70% of students were white and 30% non-white. The staff in the building was 95% white. Today, we are a rich tapestry of ethnicities, nationalities, genders, and many more identities that makes going to work a delight. It has made me a better teacher to learn from such a rich multitude of lived experience. Although the student body has changed rapidly, the staff in the building is still 95% white. I grew up in a suburb of Dallas, TX and went to a very homogenous school where over 95% of the teachers shared many of my identity markers. I saw many examples of teachers that look like me. My students do not see that, and I believe it is the responsibility of me and my colleagues to provide a curriculum that brings in many voices not just the ones we are familiar with. Additionally, we have a community of successful alumni in the area that have amazing stories that need to be shared. As a TED-Ed Innovative Educator, I have partnered up with a former student to create a venue to support that, and we are calling it The Barbershop of Ideas. Akeem is a talented artist who opened his own barbershop two years ago, and it is the place to be in our community. The purpose of the venue will be showcase examples of success from our community by bringing together alumni, community members, and current students. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Yes: There needs to be trust for learning to occur and, and trust develops through an authentic relationship. It is difficult for students and adults to start building that relationship when they do not have as much in common. A great teacher does everything he or she can do to find the way to make the connection to have something in common. No: As long as both have empathy for the other person's lived experience because that can be the most powerful thing we have in common. I see that as my main responsibility as a teacher- developing and cultivating empathy by modeling what that looks like and living it through my actions. And when I fail, which I inevitably do, I admit that I made a mistake and use that as a way to continue to build that relationship. Tim is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. For his Innovation Project he is creating a Barbershop of Ideas where students are having authentic conversations about their ideas and values in a safe space. Follow Tim on Twitter @timleistikow. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong
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Years in Education: 16-20 Caucasian Female 7-8th Grade Digital Teacher Librarian and former High School English Teacher Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: Currently, I teach in a middle school. This is an interesting age of growing because they are leaving the world of concrete ideas and entering into abstract ideas. This means their world of black and white, right and wrong starts to tilt wildly and they are just holding on for dear life trying to navigate what was previously a very defined life. When I was this age, I believe I lived in a more sheltered world where topics like drug abuse, eating disorders, and sex were there, but not prevalent and easy-access as they are today. Mental health definitely wasn’t something that was an acknowledged issue at the middle school level, possibly not even at the high school level. Now, my students face a barrage of social media, television, music, and movies that give them ideas of what right and wrong are and who or what is acceptable. When these images don’t mesh with who they are, our kids struggle with their identity, depression, anger, and rebellion. Because of this, I work hard to make connections that are more than academic level connections. Through my Ted-Ed club and Ted-Ed Innovative Project, my kids and I focus on combining the idea of global citizenship and social justice to create lessons for others to use to help them navigate the ambiguity that they are in. In our efforts, we hope to build a safe environment in which our society starts to become stronger through acceptance of change and challenging the status quo. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Having commonalities between teachers and students is essential to growth and learning. Before I became a Digital Teacher Librarian, I taught high school English in a high-risk school. My school had 70 countries represented and close to 120 dialects and languages spoken in the households. I grew up in upper-middle class suburban Colorado where diversity was not something common. Working in this school gave me such a wide understanding of the world I live in. I learned more from my students than I could ever hope to have taught them. Experiencing quinciñeras, Vietnamese and Chinese New Year, Day of the Dead and Cinco de Mayo with my students didn’t just increase my cultural awareness, but my students awareness of each other’s cultures. It also increased my empathy for those disenfranchised with learning and education. When I was growing up, it was always when you go to college...My students heard, “if you graduate high school”. The impact of that simple phrase shocked me to the core. When your family and community don’t even expect you to graduate high school, the importance of working to reach graduation distorts like a funhouse mirror. Although I remember many of my students and their hard work and pride from graduating, one student always sticks in my memory. Her name was Maria and she came to me and asked if she could talk to me after school. I worried that she was about to tell me she was pregnant. Prior to Maria, I'd had approximately 50 girls and 10 boys (whose girlfriends were pregnant) come to me with pregnancy news. In fact, Maria had come to me because she didn’t know what to do. She was taking IB classes and doing very well. She wanted to attend Colorado College, a private college in Colorado Springs. Her counselor basically informed her that she shouldn’t shoot so high, she should look at community college because that was what her family could afford. When she spoke to her parents, they also expressed doubt that she could succeed in the high-pressure world of college and suggested she attend community college and then start working for the family business. When she came to me, she was in tears because her dream had been to go to Colorado College and to start a career. She asked me what she should do, how to shift gears to lower her dreams. Instead of jumping on that band wagon, I told her that she should apply to Colorado College. She was a first generation citizen, her parents had immigrated to America before she was born. I told her that there were a lot of scholarships she could apply for and that CC also had scholarships she could apply for. I even found a couple of suggested scholarships. After that talk, I didn’t hear anymore about college, until the spring. Maria asked if I could come to the Senior award night. I did, and on stage, in front of her family, peers, and teachers, it was announced that not only was she accepted to CC, but she received a full-ride scholarship to college. I have never felt more pride for a student for their refusing to give up on their dreams than at that moment. That moment, that student, is the epitome of the importance of connecting with our students. Sometimes, we are the only voice they hear that says “yes, you can.” or “follow your dreams” or “try again, learn from what went wrong and try again.” That is the reason most teachers become teachers and those connections are why it matters if students and teachers share commonalities. Not just because it helps them learn, but because it is essential to have that lifeline when things start going wonky in life. Tobye is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. Her Innovation Project is inspring Colorado students to become global learners. Follow her on Twitter @tmertelt. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong Years in Education: 11-15 Latino Heterosexual Male High School Administrator Q: What do you have in common with your students? A: First and foremost that I am a human being. With all the flaws and insecurities. I like to relate to my students on a personal level because we've all had times in our lives when we needed someone to listen to our struggles, to give us encouragement, and to tell us everything's gonna be alright. No matter what race, ethnicity, sex, or economic background, we are ALL part of the human race. Therefore, we deserve to be treated with dignity and worth. What do I have in common with my students? The fact that we are alive, and that as we experience life itself, we come to understand that it doesn't come without its challenges. However, no matter how hard things get, if we are conscientious of our existence and the power that we posses to positively affect our lives and that of those around us, that should be reminder enough that our existence has purpose, and meaning. That without us, things would just never be the same. Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? A: Yes. There is no learning without that human connection. The way our brains are wired, we must connect with the person before we can come to understand anything they have to say. If your students don't KNOW that you care about them as human beings, they will never learn from you. People are emotional beings and sometimes we don't learn through our eyes, earns, or mouths, but with our hearts! I ask, when was the last time you learned something from someone you don't like? Jorge is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. He is the Founder of Instructional Leadership Academy where teachers work together through peer coaching to elevate their practice and strengthen their community. Follow Jorge on Twitter @jalvarezcjusd. Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong |
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