This Suit’s for Wearing
This case study features four friends in a classroom with unique learning requirements, and how a teacher reflects on his inadequate traditional approach of teaching to the “normal child.”
Philosophy
What do you think it means to be a “quality educator”? It’s a great question, and I believe this definition has evolved throughout the years as values have changed and research has accumulated. When I went to elementary school beginning in the 90s, I think a teacher would’ve viewed themselves as a quality educator if they followed and delivered the curriculum to the standard, and the high majority of students “succeeded” (doing well in colonial-based ways, like tests and grades). Nowadays, I’d view myself as a quality educator if I was able to diversify my teaching to meet the learning needs of all my students, and successfully yield results through formative and summative assessment, whether it be via observation, conversation, or products.
I’d call myself a quality educator if I paid more attention to developing soft skills like critical thinking and social-emotional intelligence than many of my predecessors did. A quality educator is someone who builds relationships with their students while also learning their strengths, weaknesses, and the best way to get through to them. Teaching is a very autonomous job in British Columbia, and it allows educators to pick their path for how they want to teach their students. Having a guiding framework, like “Big Ideas and Core Competencies,” helps
Implications for Practice
The myth of a normal child affects perception because people inherently look for patterns and averages to make sense of the world. If someone has a benchmark, it’s easier to analyze, interpret, and interact with the world around us. And that can be said for teaching. If there’s a “normal child,” then building a lesson plan to suit them may seem optimal. But, as clinical psychologist Nirmeen Rajani points out in her article The Myth of the “Average Child,” there’s no such thing as a normal child. It’s easier for someone to teach to an idea of average. But, that’s not reality, and I’ll ensure I excel in universal design for learning and differentiated instruction so I deliver content appropriately.
Let Them Eat Cake!
This case study follows a librarian on her last day after the decision to close all the libraries in a school district was made. It delves into the relevant question — the need for a library in the digital era — by showing different perspectives, including the principal who views a traditional library as “dead space” and the librarian who views it as quite the opposite.
Philosophy
I believe it’s morally defensible to close a library if there’s a plan to modernize the space and purpose of what a library captures. A library is a communal space that has a collection of books and media that hold knowledge and stories. It’s a place of learning and (sometimes) gathering. In my opinion, the modern utility of a library is archaic. I absolutely think there will always be a need for books, whether it’s because of learner needs or historical reasons. But, a 2,000-square-foot library filled to the brim with books can supply relatively the same knowledge and stories as a simple computer.
Further, we’re in the digital era. Students are growing up not knowing life without smartphones, virtual reality, and nowadays, artificial intelligence. The recent news shared by CNN about the Chinese-owned AI software Deep Sense has taken the world by storm and is a great indicator of how global technological advancements are at the forefront of innovation. Canadians should not want to be left behind by what’s going on in the dynamic virtual world. Things are being designed to make things more convenient than ever. On the other end, the labour force is facing drastic changes because of automation. Having a space in a school that focuses on technology is a must. That’s what we can change a library into. Sure, we can keep books in there as well. But, the primary focus should be on what’s more relevant nowadays, and that’s technology, something that includes all the words and teachings from books anyway.
Implications for Practice
As a journalist, I know the importance of research skills, and it’s something I value as an educator. Parsing through information and dissecting what’s on a page is one of my strong suits, which bodes well for my teaching practice. I will lay a great focus on understanding what sources are (primary vs. secondary), how to verify information, and how to grow understanding and knowledge through resources. Most information can be found online now, so teaching students how to traverse relevant websites is important. Lastly, it’s my responsibility as an educator to ensure students are receiving perspectives from different walks of life while also combating misinformation and disinformation. In the age of artificial intelligence, it’s hard to tell fact from fiction. But, I’ll continue developing this skill, which I can hopefully transfer to my students.