The Journey of Teaching

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. - Confucius

The first picture I chose to represent myself as a teacher is a quiet, calm stream in southern Minnesota. Although I have never been considered to be quiet, nor calm in many cases, I do seek, as well as most, tranquility in my life. The smooth, stable skin of the river represents the patience I wish to offer my students, with an understanding that winds and storms arise, that waves create, crash, and disturb, and that forces unforeseen cause turmoil in a student's life ... an essential component to teaching, I believe.

The river also represents a teaching style I wish to adopt, a meandering, ever-changing body of knowledge supplied by a rich bed of content and shaped by the banks of curriculum and pedagogy. The river is in a constant state of motion, shifting pace and shape, searching for a nominal path to an undefined destination. Similarly, we as teachers are on that journey as well, understanding the absence of a "nominal" way to teach and knowing each child's destination may be different. And finally, the picture offers a vision of beauty. Knowing our hard work and dedication to teaching can create an image of wonder, often enjoyed only by those who are fortunate to see, is something we can carry with pride throughout our lives.

Daunting Tasks

This next picture represents the challenge of teaching, the enormous weight that can be felt dealing with resilient students, overbearing parents, and budget constraints. As a teacher, however, I think it's important to learn to share the load and use other teachers and staff as support.

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Big Jobs

There is no doubt that teaching can be a big job. I was talking to a friend not too long ago and expressing to her my fear of grading papers and assignments, having anxiety over not having enough time and possibly giving poor feedback as a result. Jokingly she replied, "Just simply get a bigger pen!" I chose this photo (not altered in photoshop in any way) to represent the size of a teaching job. Being married to a teacher myself, I know the amount of work that can go into the profession. When we first moved up to the Elk River area and she took a teaching position where she had to build her own curriculum, I cannot begin to tell you the amount of hours she spent prepping. Often we would hear people comment, "Oh, teacher's have it so easy... you only work 9 months of the year." This drove my wife crazy! Sure, you get some time off in the summer, but when you put in long hours the rest of the year, I think it balances out. With this photo, I am also expressing what I forsee to be one of my own greatest challenges in teaching, time management. How do you balance the amount of time to grade papers, and do a quality job at it, and prep for up coming classes?

Experience, Experience, Experience!

The above pictures represent some of my teaching experience. I have been blessed to have been able to teach over the last three years some computer classes, as well as having several years of coaching experience. In my opinion, there is no substitute for the knowledge gained through experience. Benjamin Disraeli once wrote:

Experience is the child of Thought, and Thought is the child of Action. We cannot learn men from books.

In the classes we're taking, we learn a plethora of information regarding pedagogy, teaching methods, lesson planning, class room management, the use of technology, and many other valuable tools, however, due to the dynamic nature of human beings, teenagers in particular, every classroom situation is unique. Through experience we learn how best to deal with certain students, problems with how to teach different content and genres, and how to develop intellectually and socially as teachers.

And finally, I think commending ourselves is of up-most importance. We all make mistakes in life and should express humility in our shortcomings and be humble with our successes, but in the end we need to reconcile with ourselves the mistakes we made and move forward in life. Below is a poem I found in the dusk-cocooned vault of my attic. One in which I wrote during a dark period in my life... one in which help bring me back to the light. Although amateur in form and lacking in mechanics, the poem has a personal power to me and is the epitome of the power of writing, because it helped change my own life. As a teacher, one of my goals is to help pass on my passion for reading and writing and to illustrate the tremendous power of literature, both globally and personally.

To Whom Do I Say Thanks…

I would like to thank spirituality,

You’ve been a dear friend, always there for me.

I would like to thank the four-leaf clover, and the blade of grass

that bowed out of the way, just so I could see it.

And my family, the core of life, the

Secret sauce put in the finest recipes-their

love is my poetry.

I would like to devote to them a

Very special ‘thank you’ cup – full and blessed.

I would like to thank Father Time, and the makers

Of pop rocks and tootsie rolls, oh, and the kid that didn’t hit me with the

Iceball in third grade, I’d especially

like to thank him.

But beyond the norm, beyond the gratitude's

Of the loves of life, the air, the sea,

The scent of rain and roses, and the Gods,

There are others.

Thank you to the evil that

dwell in the every day human

the child full of painful tones

of mockery: harelips, freaks and outcasts.

I owe you so much of my pain, but as I

Think about it, isn’t the pain our greatest source of our strength, for this I say thanks.

The man who spits his whiskey drowned wit

And flames you with his intoxication.

You taught me something

In your rambling, and I thank you.

Thank you Mr. Darkness, for

Dancing with me- for getting me

Drunk and laughing at me when I fell – only

To let my legs grow stronger

When I could stand up again.

My regrets are all here, in my head

And I hope they don’t leave me

They’re the only thing that

Makes me human anymore.

You see, Life, I stand

To your challenge, and

Whether I take the victory lap, or

Behead myself in defeat, I will

Always know I played the game,

And won in my own right.

For this, I thank myself.

---- Patrick Morrow