TIMOTHY COUILLARD, Midlothian, Virginia, USA

Years in Education: 20+
Caucasian 
Male
Heterosexual
High School Physics, Ethics and Critical Thinking Teacher 

Q: What do you have in common with your students? 

A: I am on a journey of a lifetime, a quest for meaning, and the pursuit of happiness just like you.

I have a comfort zone and it takes deliberate energy for me to step outside it.

Unfamiliar situations can be awkward for me too, but if I don’t overthink it, they can turn into these wonderful new experiences.

I want to do a really good job on the work that I give you.

I want the time we spent together in class to be valuable, interesting, and meaningful. I worry that I am not measuring up to what you and other people think of me.

I don’t want to let you down.

After all these years in school, sometimes it feels like I’m still figuring things out.

I make mistakes. Everyday. But they do not define who I am.

I want to learn what you have to teach me and I want to see us be successful and achieve great things together. I care what other people think even when I say I don’t.

I want to be liked... especially by you.

​
Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? 

A: Yes, it matters because we are naturally biased towards people with common experiences and if we see each other as individuals who share experiences it goes a long way toward building a relationship that makes it easier to achieve things for our common good.


Timothy is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. His Innovation Project is empowering students to see themselves as heroes in projects that teach STEM through interactive storytelling. Connect with him on Twitter @coolyrd and watch his magical TEDx talk here. 

---