Why are you here?
This is a video that calls for teachers and the education system to "re-see" education. We should be waking kids up in classrooms, not putting them to sleep! Changing paradigms is exactly what I aim to do in my classroom, and that's by encouraging all the things that make the 21st century exciting (social media, video games, technology), to be brought into the classroom!
This video really makes it clear why I chose to go into teaching, and why I focus on students being thinkers, learners, questioners, and scholars.
So, you're probably wondering what you're supposed to take away from the site. Whether you are a student, parent, adminstrator, fellow teacher, or a wanderer, I hope that you will see my passion for teaching displayed on this site. Futhermore, I believe that it is necessary for you to understand what I expect and what I believe in for myself, and of you. I try to be as transparent as possible with my teaching and with my interactions with others. This site is a way for you to essentially get to know me, and understand how our time together will be.
There are some terms that you will see on this site that I would like to define for you, so that you know exactly what I mean when you see them!
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Thinker- A person who doesn't accept anything at face value. They always aim to go deeper, and not stop at surface level. They look at the big picture, and they value critical thinking because they understand that sometimes the answers are just below the surface.
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Learner- A person who is excited and open to risks. They always hold high expectations for themselves and they take risks in their reading and writing because they understand and value being 21st century scholars, and know that means sometimes having to go the extra mile to contrust life long understanding of themselves and the world around them.
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Scholar- A person who comes to class prepared and ready to learn. They are innovative, contribute to class in a way that is productive and conducive to learning, and they always think about rationale behind their actions not only with themselves, but their work, and collaboration with others.
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Questioner- A person who understands that questions are the gateway to understanding and success. They are fearless in the classroom, and they don't see having questions as a deterrent to comprehension, but as a way to help build their skills to be thinkers, learners, and scholars. They ask questions about everything, and they are constantly seeking answers within themselves, as well as the writing and text that we use inside and outside of the classrooms. They understand that in order to become a thinker, learner, and scholar, this is the identity that they must cling too.
Now that you have the terms that you need to navigate, I'd like to start you off with two videoes that I believe describes exactly how I see teaching, and the type of teacher that I aim to be for my students.
