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What’s interesting is that there are so many different types of opinions when being asked how someone can be a great teacher. In NPR’s “How to be a Great Teacher, From 12 Great Teachers”, it’s a variety of small things from making sure you’re their teacher and not their friend to understand there is vulnerability in learning. I think the the most substantial thing from this article though is how one teacher said to build trust. For being an ally in the classroom, students have to trust you in order to confide to you about things. No trust? In many ways it won’t be a quality education. Students can trust you on a basic level, but on a personal one? That takes a lot of perverseness and patience .
But there are allies in many different ways within the walls of schools. Ask ‘Mr. Spider’ in “Mr. Spider” Says Goodbye: An Art Teacher’s Final Day At School”. A man who taught for around twenty five years at one of Chicago’s toughest schools. This man had to figure out how to connect with students who were living tough lives, but once he did, he changed so many lives during his teaching career. I think it’s important to understand though that you can’t change everyone. Mr. Schergen, over the years, understood this situation as many of his students ended up in prison, shot, or long gone. But many individuals, especially ones who came to say goodbye to him before he had taken off to start a new chapter in life.
The final teacher, or should I say professor, is Dr. Caroline Solomon. Not only is she a professor for teaching students about the environment, but she’s a professor that teaches deaf or hard of hearing students as well. In the article “Biology Professor’s Calling: Teach Deaf Students They Can Do Anything”, students comment about how opening and welcoming her classroom is, and how many of them wouldn’t have thought about science being in their future without her as their professor. Dr. Solomon brings a lot of passion into the classroom, but also gives positive reinforcement to her students.
What I think is interesting is that starting this badge, it always seemed like as an ally it has to be a worldwide thing. It has to constantly continue growing, getting bigger. But going through some of these stories, it doesn’t have to hit a large range of the nation or even the world. It starts with each one of your students and can expand from there. As a teacher we always have to remember that we can’t do everything, but we can do anything. That’s what we spread to our students.
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