WHY I TEACH...

My answer to Sylvia Guinan http://blog.wiziq.com/why-do-teachers-teach

I wrote “I teach to change the present and the future”. However, I “taught TO BUILD the past”, too. Why?. Almost everyday I see some of my former students who happen to have their children at the same school where they studied, where I was their teacher, and even some of them have a child who is in the same grade as my younger daughter. This fact of seeing children, mine and others grow on a daily basis is moving, enriching, challenging, it fills my heart, body, soul and mind with deep, strong emotions and mixed feelings: happiness, sadness: longing for the old times, anxious about their futures, memories “like a shadow on my mind”, not exactly like a shadow, they are still really present in my own mind and theirs. I can feel it, they tell me so with their present hugs and smiles, those same ones I felt when they were younger.

Touching lives, hearts, minds and souls.

Leaving a legacy...

LEAVE A LEGACY:BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

“If you leave a legacy, those relationships will never disappear. We should discuss the value and importance of human connections: relationships. Teaching and learning should bring joy. Children do not learn from people they do not like. We,Teachers, become great actors and actresses: we come to teach even when we do not feel like it, we listen to policies that do not make sense but we teach anyway. It is a tough job, but not impossible. We are educators. We are born to make a difference” Rita Pierson

“No significant learning can occur without significant relationships.” James Comer

PASSION and CREATIVITY

In my opinion, teaching is not teaching knowledge itself only, it is going to where is no path or the path is different. When I mention the “path” I think of a child´s mind and heart: I always felt I needed to leave a trail there: a young person´s brain. It is about helping our students find their passion, foster creativity and understand their opinions, thoughts and questions, discover or find their talents and appreciate their capability of imagination. Sir Ken Robinson talks about creativity and passion. In teaching, both concepts are extremely connected.

Leave a trail in a child´s mind: teach with your heart and soul

Teaching to build Social and Emotional Skills: Project Happiness: www.projecthappiness.org

Preparing children to become adults: teaching children the ability to build a happy and productive life:

“We need to provide opportunities in our classrooms for all of our students to satisfy these needs. It is critical that every student feel that he/ she belongs in the class, is part of the group. They must know that their ideas are welcome and that they add something positive to the class community. A student needs to know that they can compete successfully in this subject and group and experience personal success. And in order to be a success each student must be given the opportunity to make choices and the skills necessary to make appropriate choices. It is more difficult to experience these things in a classroom where there isn’t order, structure and respect for all.”Wayne Sheldrick, Phd

Teaching about Goals, Obstacles and Positivism: Teaching Empathy (source Edutopia) tool: MindMup by F.Casella