Passion for Teaching
All about sharing
"It is difficult to expect our students to be excited and
passionate about their learning if we’re not."
(The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning, p. 10)
I believe teaching, whether as occasional, long term or regular teacher, is always an adventure. And if we are able to convey this sentiment to our students, they will feel the same way. Most of us chose to teach because we love the subjects we chose to teach. And being in front of this youth made us want to share with them our passion.
I found they a few ways to transmit this love we have for our subjects and for teaching:
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Harnessing personal experiences and connecting these with teaching: I have an artist practice with recurrent themes such as repetition, variation or misappropriation. These very large ideas can easily be implemented in lessons I conceive for my students. Being especially interested by these ideas, I know I will be able to be particularly eloquent when sharing them. And the reverse is valid too. As we get to know our students, we will be able to explore their own interest in our lessons, making them active in their own learning.
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Trying something “new”: I can get bored very easily if always teaching the same ideas or teaching them in a similar way. I expect my students would too. Innovating, trying new approaches and bringing our students along with us will help us stay passionate and stimulating.
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Conceiving and leading special, out of the walls, learning projects for our students: these projects help students link their in class theoretical learning to the real life issues. How could they understand Art if they don’t experience it first hand? Or love a language they learn if they never get to be surrounded by it?
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Building strong relationship with our colleagues through sharing/learning and transdisciplinary projects: When I began teaching, I worked with this great teacher who made me want to be as great as he was. And when it was my turn to have this privilege to train and asses beginner teacher, I really felt the connections me make and we keep among Professional Learning Communities make us who we are as teachers. We need to foster and look for them as we are on a constant learning path.
