Teaching Meme

Dana Huff tagged me for this Teaching Meme.

I am a good teacher because… (sez who???) if this is true, it would be because I’m an “anti-teacher.” I pity students for being stuck in school, for too often being treated like inmates, and having to sit through what they have to sit through for 12 critical years. I try to mitigate this by a) re-naming myself “learner,” and them “learner” too; b) trying to make them conscious that they’re young adults who deserve to be treated as such, despite the infantilization they’re subjected to by school, family, society, custom; c) not shying away from controversial issues; d) emphasizing problem-solving and frustration-tolerance as key real-world virtues; e) giving them an anonymous feedback forum year-round to criticize anything they don’t like in our classroom, and responding to it; f) replacing homework with relevant projects. (I really should get my students to address this question.)
If I weren’t a teacher I would be a… I have no idea. A starving filmmaker? Writer? Singer-songwriter? Founder of an unschool? Full-time blogger?
My teaching style is… relaxed, non-authoritarian, relevant, high-energy, philosophical, wonder-aimed, and encourages principled non-comformity and laughter.
My classroom is… a complete mess, with most of my favorite books from home on classroom shelves for students to check out, desks in different arrangements every day and, if I had my way, no desks at all.
My lesson plans are… open, loose, often thrown out the window in favor of spontaneous ideas, constant revisions, and/or student input. I’ve never understood how people can follow lesson plans made more than a couple days in advance. “The map is not the territory.” And I tend to get creative in the midst of units in ways I can’t when they’re at abstract distances.
One of my teaching goals is… to create space for self-discovery and self-direction in my classroom, so my learners may become writers, and find both themselves and a self-selected expertise through long-term classroom blogging.
The toughest part of teaching is… resisting institutional pressures. And resisting an all-consuming love for the world of “teaching.” I’m totally unbalanced, but love it. So it’s not a problem for me.
The thing I love about teaching is… my job is to share my love of literature, history, writing, learning, questioning young minds, and self-discovery. And to be teaching in the most revolutionary moment in the history of literacy since Gutenberg 500 years ago.
A common misconception about teaching is… that it’s easy. Another, possibly, is that it’s effective. I more and more wonder what young people would learn over 12 years if they were free to choose their own pathways in life, instead of being coercively incarcerated in schools. Schools are not natural, so they may not be healthy.
The most important thing I’ve learning since I started teaching is… without projects and creativity, learning is probably temporary. And to trust my nose: if it smells boring or schooly, it probably is.

You’re it: Anthony, Cindy, Jo, Vivek, Doug, James, Christian. (And no hard feelings if you opt out. This one’s tough, the timing is tougher, and I wonder how much I’ll agree with what I wrote when I read it tomorrow

If you like this post, please spread it: (But don't tag it "education." That will bury it.)

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Written by Clay Burell

August 18th, 2007 at 1:51 am

Posted in meme

Tagged with fluff, memes, teaching

14 Responses to 'Teaching Meme'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Teaching Meme'.

Good thing you didn’t tag me. Otherwise, I might have just copied and pasted much of what you wrote.

[Reply]

Gnuosphere

18 Aug 07 at 3:39 am
Hey, Gnu, good to hear from you. The seed you planted about free software (and politicization generally) a few months back didn’t wither on the rocks.

Shoot me an email so we can Skype a bit? I’d like to pick your brain about a few things….

clayburell[at]gmail[dot]com

[Reply]

Clay Burell

18 Aug 07 at 3:46 am
Clay,

I think I’ll ask my students to list the characteristics of a “good teacher” and describe their ideal “class/classroom”. Then, perhaps, show them your response.

Please share any comments from your own class.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William A. Ward

“Your Master Teacher knows all you need to learn, the perfect timing for your learning it, and the ideal way of teaching it to you. You don’t create a Master Teacher — that’s already been done. You discover your Master Teacher.” Peter Mcwilliams

[Reply]

diane

18 Aug 07 at 8:43 am
Diane, blast it, you make me want to invent a “Diane’s comments” widget to embed in my sidebar

I love the quotes.

And the ideas: to have students create a wiki on “the good teacher” is an idea you’re making me play with….

Unfortunately, I don’t know how to use wikis that way.

[Reply]

Clay Burell

18 Aug 07 at 6:35 pm
Not knowing how to do something hasn’t stopped any of us yet!

Maybe you could compose a poem or essay or short story with everyone contributing - if not in a wiki, then Google Docs?

Or do a series of cartoons, with each one illustrating a difference characteristic of a good teacher.

Or a fairy tale: the evil fairy has doomed the infant teacher-of-the-future to a life of mediocre paychecks. What gifts do the good fairies give to compensate?

“Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.”-Legendary adman, George Lois

[Reply]

diane

18 Aug 07 at 7:38 pm
Diane, I just sent this to all of my English and 9 History students from last year on their current English class’ Ning:

Dear “Students”:

Please do me a favor. An interesting little thing is happening on my blog. Somebody “tagged” me with a “10 Reasons I’m a Good Teacher” meme (like a blog chain-mail), and I thought it was a) the dumbest thing in the world, and b) asking the wrong person.

Only you guys last year know if I was any good. I certainly can’t tell if you learned anything of value in my class, or if I was yet another colossal waste of time in your life, thanks to school.

SO…I’d love it if you would go to my blog and hit a comment on what I wrote, telling me and my readers what sort of English and history teacher I was last year.

Here are the questions:

1. Did our English or History classes contribute in any significant way to a) your appreciation of those subjects; b) your skills and abilities in those subjects; c) anything you want to add. Please explain how and why, briefly.

2. What are my strengths as a “teacher”? (If I have any.)

3. What are my weaknesses as a teacher? (Remember, good criticism is important, but should be offered positively and constructively. If your comment is insulting or bratty, I’ll delete it. But if it’s fair and healthy, I’ll thank you for it.)

4. As a teacher, am I significantly different in any way from your idea of a “normal” teacher? How? Is that good, bad, or both?

5. What, to you, is the “Perfect Teacher”?

6. What is the “Perfect Classroom”?

Here’s where you can be heard:
http://burell.blogspot.com/2007/08/teaching-meme.html

Thanks again, all.

[Reply]

Clay Burell

19 Aug 07 at 1:23 am
1. My english class allowed me to improve my writing skills in ways of expressing my ideas. It also helped me look at certain books in different ways. (like how the book also shows anti-feminism in another view)
2. As a teacher, you help us look at things in different, new ways that we havn’t thought of. I never had an assignment where I have to make a video to change the world, nor an essay about many different books that may also relate to eachother.
3. Hmm… sometimes when you concentrate on certain students you don’t get to improve other students’ skills in literature as much
4. You are significantly different from other ‘normal’ teachers because you have different way of looking at school and education. The assignments you give can’t be seen in many other places. THis is good. This allows us students to have different view about education.
5. “Perfect Teacher” is any teacher who can make the students both improve and learn something very different compare to other ordinary students.
6. “Perfect classroom” is where the student wants to be in to learn. If a student can learn as they are having fun, I think this is a “Perfect classroom”.

[Reply]

kamyki

19 Aug 07 at 5:23 am
Argh… I just tried to leave a comment and it’s not working… hope this one works….

———————————-

Hey, Mr. Burell!! This is Sarah Jang. Since you said it’s okay to drop by, I’m so gonna annoy you!! LOL

Anywayz, if there’s any Freshman’s’ reading my comment, Welcome to hightschool at KIS, yo!

———————————-

Here are the questions:

1. Did our English or History classes contribute in any significant way to a) your appreciation of those subjects; b) your skills and abilities in those subjects; c) anything you want to add. Please explain how and why, briefly.

-First of all, Mr.Burell really emphasized on having “essay” tests. I personally liked it better than the multiple choices, but for few freshmens who might not enjoy it very much…. Well, you guys, it’s really helpful. I took AP World this year, and Mr.Aitken told us that essay is one of the most important skill that we need to learn in order to get credit for this class. (Although I’m barely different than any of you 9th graders this year… my mental age is of a 3rd grader…) He’s really doing you something by making you guys write quick informational essays on your tests. So Good luck!

2. What are my strengths as a “teacher”? (If I have any.)

-He doesn’t have any!!!! Just kidding.:)
Mr. Burell got tons and tons of good things to be mentioned about him, but what I remember the far most is that he sacrifices tons of times for us students. If any of you freshman readers get any chance to stay up till midnight or even later to do your homework, try contacting Mr.Burell. He’s up that late to check your homeworks and other things. And he has this weird habit of making assignments that takes him even more time than the students to go over…(I felt really, really sorry for you Mr.B. sobsob) And he comes to school on weekends when there’s a final so us students can get much better grades. (His review sessions are really nice, so go and learn if he gives you one before the final. He tells you basically 70% of what’s gonna be on the test… lol)

3. What are my weaknesses as a teacher? (Remember, good criticism is important, but should be offered positively and constructively. If your comment is insulting or bratty, I’ll delete it. But if it’s fair and healthy, I’ll thank you for it.)

-I hope you don’t make the freshmens suffer with the diaries that we had to write… yeah… those times were deperessing…

4. As a teacher, am I significantly different in any way from your idea of a “normal” teacher? How? Is that good, bad, or both?

-Mr.Burell makes us do all these cool “new stuff” that gets really popular by teachers and students. He always try to do new things, which is really, really good thing.

5. What, to you, is the “Perfect Teacher”?

-No homework. No Tests.

6. What is the “Perfect Classroom”?

-No lectures. Movies and games everyday.

Alrighty, here’s my short comment. I hope it helps Mr.Burell’s new students to get to know him better. Oh, and he likes coffee. Give him coffee and he’ll love you… (jkjkjkjk. he’ll get mad when you bribe him with coffee…LOL) Mr.B was definitely one of my favorite teachers last year, and I hope all of his new students have a really really good time with him.

Bye, Mr.B!! And some few…. readers who might read this.

Thanks a bunch to my dear History teacher last year, Mr.BBBBBBBBBBBBB
From Sarah Sarah Sarah J.

[Reply]

SarahJ

19 Aug 07 at 7:41 am
1. Did our English or History classes contribute in any significant way to a) your appreciation of those subjects; b) your skills and abilities in those subjects; c) anything you want to add. Please explain how and why, briefly.

After all, I have begun to “enjoy” writing (thanks to 3 blog posts a week). What made me start to like writing is “enjoyable” reading. I used to not like reading; I thought it was boring. Yet Mr. Burell, my 9th grade teacher, taught me something important and true: it’s not the book, but it was me. I was a boring reader who viewed reading through dark classes. He changed me. He removed the classes off of my eye sight. Gilgamesh, Genesis, Gulliver’s Travel, and Candide—these were the most awesome works of literature I’ve ever met. Currently, we are reading Beowulf in our 10th grade English class; and I cannot stop finding interesting similarities between this first English epic poem and the first epic poem ever, Gilgamesh. By examining Genesis, I learned how to view words differently and critically. I haven’t realized how much I enjoyed my last year’s English class. I loved it sincerely.

2. What are my strengths as a “teacher”? (If I have any.)

My teacher, Mr. Burell, has an ability to make every written text interesting. I’m a Christian; I have read the Genesis over and over. Yet with Mr. Burell I was able to detect things that I had never seen before. I was always looking at everything from one direction, and he was the one who taught me how to view things from different angles. Moreover, he is gifted in encouraging his students. His comments—on papers, blog posts—actually deliver messages (I know a lot of teachers who give comments embracing no meaning). I was happy to read his comments pointing out good points of my writing; his polite criticism also pleased me. Therefore I liked turning in my writings to him.

3. What are my weaknesses as a teacher? (Remember, good criticism is important, but should be offered positively and constructively. If your comment is insulting or bratty, I’ll delete it. But if it’s fair and healthy, I’ll thank you for it.)

Although I know that he had to grade our discussion (since we are in “SCHOOL”), I was always stressed about him writing down something on his grade book every time I say something during literature circle.

4. As a teacher, am I significantly different in any way from your idea of a “normal” teacher? How? Is that good, bad, or both?

Mr. Burell is not a normal teacher—not a normal man, not a normal human being. I can think of no teacher similar to him. It’s a good thing by the way. That means he is unique. He is not a sheep; he has his own way of teaching. My favorite part of class time was when he pulled out our reading assignments and pointed out important ideas or threw out questions that I couldn’t even think of.

5. What, to you, is the “Perfect Teacher”? & 6. What is the “Perfect Classroom”?

I do not believe in “perfectness” (or maybe it is just me who can’t explain what it is). But so far, I would describe Mr. Burell as my most interesting English teacher; and 9th grade English class as the most enjoyable English class.

p.s. - My comment itself is evidence clearly showing what kind of teacher Mr. Burell was. Who would spend one’s spare-time commenting on a teacher’s blog who doesn’t even give him or her grade any more? I did. Yes, I spent my time (instead of doing my AP history homework) to write about him. Why? Because he was not just a teacher; I don’t know how to describe him under certain designation. He’s a person that everyone who considers writing or reading as “boring thing” should meet.

[Reply]

dabinL

19 Aug 07 at 7:52 am
1. Did our English or History classes contribute in any significant way to a) your appreciation of those subjects; b) your skills and abilities in those subjects; c) anything you want to add. Please explain how and why, briefly.
When I thought of English before, I thought about BORING literature. However, In Mr. Burell’s class we didn’t even use the THICK LITERATURE TEXTBOOK. We learned how to read and write creatively. Through Mr. Burell’s classes, I can see that I have improved substantially in writing skills. I enjoyed Mr. Burell’s history and english classes. Often students got among groups, work together, assigned as roles, and played each part that made students be responsible for individual work.

2. What are my strengths as a “teacher”? (If I have any.)
I think you have a strength to grab people’s attention.

3. What are my weaknesses as a teacher? (Remember, good criticism is important, but should be offered positively and constructively. If your comment is insulting or bratty, I’ll delete it. But if it’s fair and healthy, I’ll thank you for it.)
I think your weakness is that as a teacher, you are often nice to all students. I remember you extended test due-dates or other assignments.

4. As a teacher, am I significantly different in any way from your idea of a “normal” teacher? How? Is that good, bad, or both?
As a teacher, your classes are interesting. Things that I have never done before in school. Interacting with students around the world and podcasts. It is good.

5. What, to you, is the “Perfect Teacher”?
I think that perfect teacher for me would be fair. Someone who is able to see student’s upcoming tests, presentations, or big projects.

6. What is the “Perfect Classroom”?
Is there one? I don’t have an idea of a “Perfect Classroom”

[Reply]

Won Seok

19 Aug 07 at 8:31 am
Love it. I’m stealing your meme now. Even though I’m a homeschooling mom, I should probably just steal your answers too and save myself the writer’s cramp.

[Reply]

kim

19 Aug 07 at 10:26 am
Off to school this Monday morning, but Kim, nice to see a homeschooling voice here! I’ll check out your blog. I have curiosities about homeschooling, since it seems in many cases it can be disastrous under certain philosophies. Look forward to picking your brain!

[Reply]

Clay Burell

19 Aug 07 at 5:24 pm
1. Did our English or History classes contribute in any significant way to a) your appreciation of those subjects; b) your skills and abilities in those subjects; c) anything you want to add. Please explain how and why, briefly.
I was in Mr.Burell’s history class. Since he taught history beyond the information in textbooks, I learned so many things. In freshman year, I never thought of World History as a boring piece of facts. In freshman year, passion towards the subject increased and I still have it these days.
Mr.Burell gave many writing homeworks, and as I did my homework my writing styles, perspective towards a certain event in history, and knowledge have changed a lot. I got a better understanding of history.

2. What are my strengths as a “teacher”? (If I have any.)
Mr. Burell respect students like young adults. He teaches his class with passion and always tries for new things. Moreover, he seeks for criticisms and suggestions that could change the class, projects, homeworks, and himself. (For more, see #4) He reads every single blogs, writings, essays that we have summated, and put comments and advices. (For that, he graded our papers late but it didn’t matter. As he used to say, “Learning is messy.”)

3. What are my weaknesses as a teacher? (Remember, good criticism is important, but should be offered positively and constructively. If your comment is insulting or bratty, I’ll delete it. But if it’s fair and healthy, I’ll thank you for it.)
Mr. Burell’s sometimes a man of moods, and because of that, students and I had a hard time to talk to him on that day.

4. As a teacher, am I significantly different in any way from your idea of a “normal” teacher? How? Is that good, bad, or both?
Mr. Burell is MAGNIFICENT teacher that I haven’t met before.
In class, he naturally creates a free discussion atmosphere which makes us to talk about our ideas without thinking right or wrong. Everybody had no fear to share their ideas. Even though we said something different from the answer that he wanted, he always respected our voices. Mr. Burell used to say, “Good try!” or expanded the ‘wrong’ idea and started to explain some interesting facts about it. As I became a sophomore, I realized how hard it was to create such thing. Teachers tried to make kids participate but only few of them did. Those happenings constantly reminded me of the natural free discussions I had with our classmates and Mr. Burell.
Moreover, he somehow got rid of the ‘formal’ teacher-student relationship. Kids and Mr. Burell was sort of in an adult-adult relationship. Students respected him as an adult rather than a teacher, and he respected us as young adults. Students, including myself talked to him comfortably without thinking much of the ‘schooly’ student’s attitude. (Gosh! I don’t even get what I’m saying) In teacher’s point of view, it may seem quite easy to just walk up to a teacher and start talking. But to students, it’s really really hard. But Mr. Burell just got rid of that wall so easily, and started to talk about his private life after school (which many teachers try to hide) and complains he had about the school. He was the FIRST teacher in my life to find bias in our history textbooks. It’s amazing.
Most teachers don’t ask students’ ideas about new projects, homework, and criticisms after them. But Mr. Burell always sought our voice. He tried something different and new from the general projects that other teachers gave out and asked for our opinions.

5. What, to you, is the “Perfect Teacher”?
To me a ‘Perfect Teacher’ would be an adult that respects students and listens to them whenever he has a chance. The teacher would teach his classes with passion and get interests in every student.

6. What is the “Perfect Classroom”?
A “Perfect Classroom” would contain students that have passion towards the subject and actively participate in class as they respect others.

[Reply]

Jennifer

22 Aug 07 at 6:58 am
First of all, MrB - this is “beyond school”. Questions and Answers are to “schooly” in the REAL world. Those numbers “1 to 6″ - man, they are schooly. Ha-ha.
Since many of your “learners” and my “learn-mates” have answered in many different ways, I’m just going to free-write. If you want a better comment, feel free to scream at me!!
I just have to say, last year was “all-over-the-place”. The blogs- starting from Learnerblogs to Ning, whoa I’ve never had a place on earth spreading THAT much of my identity!
Reading reading reading, reading was fine, reading a packet each lesson was a different story. Those discussions, ideas and evaluations that I could not possibly think about before were amazing. Your class smacked me on the head and said, “Your brain is not the only brain in the world. There are other ones, too.”
Clarity, clarity, clarity… (I won’t go any further - you know every detail of my “clarity” )
I’ve never actually thought of you as a “school-school” teacher. The only time I realized that was when you had that GRADE BOOK and the QUIZES and that..that.. MOODLE! By the way, that was very honest of you to put “(if I have any)” next to your question - speaking of “getting to know ME”~! Ha-ha. You had lots. Lots and lots and lots. In fact, your the first teacher who blurred my eyes on your last class, without having me to say, “Cry cry cry. That will make me the most memorable student for him”.
You actually cared. You actually cared for us - meaning, you weren’t there to make us earn GRADES. You were there for us to realize that we were HUMAN BEINGS not a student.
Literature was originally made for people to be entertained, but why has it become a boring, must-be-taken highschool subject course before college? SINCE WHEN? Scientist, there you go - that is a real biologic-psychologic-hypothesisical question. A very logical one, too. Much better than trying to conclude that plants grow more with more sunlight and water. Duh-
You told me that literature has nothing to do with grades. Literature was for amazing the readers, provoking to become ambitious. World beyond world - how the EARTH IS FLAT.
Hahaha. Hopefully, my comment doesn’t disappear next time I look for it. *panicks*
One thing that I want to compliment you - you determined your learners well. Those shy, quiet students in class spoke broad and loud in blogs. You knew that; you KNEW your students.
However; there is that 2% missing from you, as a teacher. I can’t quiet catch that - but that 2%, made you look very VERY teacherish at one point. Really, I can’t catch it. Ask others. Ha-ha.
You were EXTRAORDINARILY different than ANY of my teachers. AMAZINGLY, UTTERLY…(:D woops!), PASSIONATELY, COMPUTER-GEEKISHLY… You were a person-to-person “would you like a cup of tea?” nice-to-have-a serious AND comfortable chat with. At the same time, a linquistic educated old professor to be taught with. But I wished that our homework questions would’ve been better - more reflecting our lives and the book. Rather than trying to focus through it. Because, we were anyhow going to discuss in class.

MrBurell, nothing is perfect. To me, the “perfect” is the word used for us to “Dream”. The actual “perfect” world is made up of 30% mistakes, 20% of “oh I wish it was perfect” and the other 50% of “There’s nothing perfect in this world, just live with it- go for it. It’s worht it.”
Perfect teacher, should have that too. A teacher who smells like “humans” not “robotic teachers”. Who make mistakes, who have silly jokes and not be strict on rules. When serious times come, the perfect teacher will lead it with comfort, letting the word “serious” out of students’ minds.
Perfect class will only be perfect, when each of the class members acknowledge that they are NOT the only ones in the world, who make mistakes. Or even, dream-on thinking that they are better than anyone else in the world. Gain trust, know within souls that “nobody is perfect”, “everybody is the same” and “lets work hard as a group, not as an indivisual who want to be the TOP of everything, everyone, the world.

I miss your class, I wish you had a class without grades. Because anywho, you HAD THAT GRADE BOOK!!! haha- see you tomorrow.

[Reply]

Shinhee :))

27 Aug 07 at 5:14 am