About Passion in the Classroom

About Passion in the Classroom...

Main Idea

There are two quotes hooks uses to portray the problem with the lack of passion in the classroom. I love what she says about if their is a lack of passion in the classroom how can we expect our students to open up? In a later quote she address the lack of motivation as well within teachers today. I believe the main points she brings up here are that in order to spur on education in our classroom it is going to require work on our part to jump start learning. It is not that our job as teachers isn't hard, it is that we are responsible for the motivation or our students. I also like what she says about bringing our own passions as a class together so we are able to learn and grown from each other. Students learn a great deal from their teachers but they learn even more from their peers. Being vulnerable in our passions as classroom teachers models that vulnerability that our students need to see. If they see us sharing our passions, they are much more likely to share with each other.

Consistant/ Inconsistant with Experiences as a Teaching Associate

I would have to agree with what hooks talks about in regard to passion in the classroom. I have been fortunate enough to placed in an environment where my CI is very passionate about her job and brings that passion into her teaching. Unlike a lot of teachers, she is always prepared and willing to go the extra step with her students. She brings that passion into her teaching and in turn that draws the students into learning. She also wants to know her students. She encourages creativity in her classroom and wants her students to incorporate their own experiences into their learning. I have learned a great deal from this. In my station at the school I teach at, one of the biggest struggles is motivation among the students. I try my best each day to make the lesson motivating, enjoyable, and in tune with the interest of my students. The more excited and prepared I am about learning the more my students want to learn. It really does make a huge different in the atmosphere of the classroom when my attitude is positive and engaged.

Consistant/ Inconsistant with teaching beliefs and practices

This concept in and of itself is why I want to teach. I want to bring that passion and motivation into my classroom. I do not want my classroom to be about me but I want to scaffold learning according to my students. I want my classroom to be an environment where my students feel safe to learn from each other and from me as well. I also want to bring in that excitement about learning because each child deserves that opportunity to grow and be encouraged.

Impact on future professional development

The experience I have had as a T.A. has shown me so much about the kind of teacher I want to be. It was so good for me to be in an environment where I had to push myself. Not every day was fun and exciting but I had to make that choice to be that encouragement and as a professional. It has opened my eyes that there will be some hard days, but that those hard days make me a better teacher. It has spurred on my passion to be a teacher because I have seen the small impact I have made and will be able to make in a child's life. Passion as hooks talks about is so dry and I want to make it obvious in my classroom next year.