My Teaching Metaphor
The process of becoming a teacher has had different perspectives. At the beginning of my university program, a teacher for me was that person that enters to a classroom and iluminates the students with amazing knowledge. However, when I have the opportunity to have real contact with studetns, that view started to change. In that sense, theory and practice was not connected with my teaching role.
Nowadays, after having some years of experience, specially with yourn learners, I have realized that teaching is an art. It is a process that involves experience, passion, love, and also patience. I associate my approach of teaching with the life of an artist, a painter. For a painter, all begins with a blank canvas, and his love for this art, pushes him to start analyzing his life, environment and the world in order to put some of this in his painting. In this sense a teacher for me is not the one who takes "knowledge" from a book. As an artist, I have to take into account what I have to face everyday, what my students expect and what I feel can help my students to improve.
when the paiting is ready, the painter show it in a gallery. Many people go there in order to enrich their life with new experiences and new feelings. the same happens in a classroom, when we show the learners all that we have prepared for them, they can learn more, they are able to question the world. Some others, simply do not enjoy the lesson, or missunderstand the meaning of the class.
After analyzing the reactions of the viewers, the artist re-start the process, now, with more ideas, inquires, but always with the desire of satisfying visitors with more wonderful paintings. That is our never ending role of teachers. Even the learner are not commited ir the educational context do not offet enough resourses. the motivation is in our hearts, and we start building up new lessons to enrich our life and the hearts of the learners.
Hi dear Natalia!
ResponderEliminarThis is truly a beautiful metaphor. and yes,we are artists! because the more your paintings be admired the more creaitvity must be applied! as you mentioned previously, we, like painters need to involve experience, passion, love, and patience in our daily teaching practice. moreover I agree with you in the sense we need to reflect upon our learning and teaching context. Nonetheless, when you said "the artist re-starts the process, now, with more ideas, inquires, but always with the desire of satisfying visitors with more wonderful paintings", I would like to know if it is possible to change the students' mind and satisfy, mostly those who do not enjoy the lesson, or missunderstand the meaning of the class? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!