Outside of the Comfort Zones

This past week in class one of the ideas that really struck a chord within me was the letter we read from "Letters to a Teacher." As we heard this story of a teacher, and school that found new creative ways to grasp the attention of their students and keep them learning in a fun way I started to think about the traditional school systems I went through all my life. Like everyone I have had good, bad and in between teachers and they have all taught me and helped me grow in their own unique ways but they all had one thing in common; conformity. I feel as if all the stress of test results, essays, AP exams, college acceptances and ACT/SAT practice has put a strain on the teachers creative sides. I think most teachers are actually afraid to teacher anything outside of what is written for them in black and white and what's out of the book. Hearing the stories of how these teachers reached out to children in charter schools reminded me of how my mom is when she works with a group of inner city kids after school in our neighborhood. She always tells me how her creative methods of grabbing their attention and teaching them seems so effective even though she is not even a certified teacher. I think that just shows how effective the personal side of relationships with your students are because knowing them helps you know their learning style, therefore helps you find different ways to reach different kids.

In the link I have shared, although it is about much more advanced learning, I think it demonstrates how the importance of different learning styles and approaches effects students all the way through their educational careers, even when they have or are getting a pHD!http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2013/04/A-New-Approach-to-Education