Thursday, April 7, 2011

Credential Questions

These are really hard.  They're really broad.  Here goes. I'm getting my Adult Teaching Credential, and am required to answer some questions.  Here they are.

1.  What is most important to you as a teacher?

Most important to me is to work with students in such a way that they begin to realize that they are transformers of the world; that whether they recognize their agency or not, they are the shapers of tomorrow's world.  If they can really feel this on a visceral level, they will seek to do the things that bode well for tomorrow.  They will be able to engage in honest dialogue with themselves about their goals, and subsequently communicate those to the right people to assist them therewith. 

Additionally, I aim to help students see that they are no less complete simply becuase of a lack of formal schooling, English language proficiency, financial resources, citizenship status, or due to limited social capital.  Rather, they are fully emotional, intellectual, cultural, social, spiritual, sexual, and political beings, who inevitably come from unique experiences no less fascinating or profound than any other.  In recognition thereof, students feel empowered to take pride in their personal knowledge, and are less likely to feel deficient for any of the aforementioned lacks.  Subsequent to their empowerment, students can really embrace a risk-taking activity like learning a new language or academic skill without feeling incomplete.