Question

Question

Mark Bracher’s book, Radical Pedagogy Identity,Generativity, and Social Transformation dedicates a section in Part Three called Self Analysis for Teachers.(Bracher, 2006) I am willing to lay on Dr. Freud’s coach and answer a series of revealing question about my motives for teaching. In fact, I highly recommend teachers put themselves under the microscope on a regular basis.

I decided to become a teacher because my father thought it would be a good career choice. He worked for the Department of Education as the business manager for an adult trade’s school. I was a fine art student at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design studying painting, I planned to become an artist and live in poverty. My father believed I could never support myself painting pictures. He felt a teacher’s license would allow me to earn a good living and pass on my art skills to children. I would not have taken that path and at that time, I could not understand why a stable job was important but I trusted him. I was 18 and didn’t understand myself, I was drifting. I am so grateful to him for giving me that advice, he knew me better than I knew myself.

I enrolled in the Bachelor of Art in Art Education at NSCAD. This program no longer exists, at the time; it gave me an art specialist’s license. I enjoyed the program, for the most part, but only four of us graduated from the program. In retrospect, they were very hard on us. Decades later, when I had my own B.Ed. Fine Art students at Cape Breton University I decided I would never treat them the way I was treated at NSCAD. It is the same promise I made when I got my teacher’s license, I vowed to never make a chid scared of me. I have kept both promises.

Initially, I stayed in the art education program because I was fulfilling my father’s wish but I began to see why he had recommended this profession. I was painfully shy. Most of my teachers, from grade primary to twelve would not have recognized the sound of my voice. I didn’t look people in the eye and was socially awkward. My teacher training helped me to overcome this affliction. I had a lot to say but was not able to communicate in social settings. As I gained more confidence as a student teacher, I started to forget about my fear of public speaking. Feminists call it finding your “voice”. http://www.daringtobeourselves.com/ Anyone who knows me today would find it hard to believe I was quiet and shy. The truth is, the shyness is still there, I have better coping skills. Johnny Carson used to tell a joke about his shyness. He said he was the guest at a party who was standing behind the drapes with a drink in his hand when the host opened them.

My identity needs are met by becoming a teacher. I see myself as an educator, no matter the particular job I am engaged in. In the earlier half of my career, I was the justice educator for the John Howard Society. The job straddled the education and criminal justice systems. I developed a series of lectures that I presented to school children and community groups that were designed to demystify the justice system. I had the freedom to develop the program from the response forms of the students. Students would evaluate my class and give me suggestion for future lectures. I wrote new material based on their suggestion so it would always be current. I developed my writing and teaching style working for this non-profit organization. Whenever a new school year starts, I always think about the fact that every September since I was five years old I was in school. Thirteen years of public school, four years of university, two years of graduate school, twenty one years at the John Howard Society and now an art teacher for the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board. I cannot see myself ever in a position that does not involve education.

I also have an identity as an artist. It is a struggle to maintain that identity because I do not produce as much work as I would like. I think being an artist is more than producing paintings; it is a start of mind. It is the way I approach the world. It is the way I learn and express myself. I think visually and make associations that make sense to me but often leave others in the dark.

I believe the artist‘s role in society is to be a free thinker, to go against the status quo. People look to our out spoken nature to get a fresh perspective. We can hide behind our eccentricities to not receive the wrath of our opponents. We capture a moment in time with paint, metal, charcoal or clay.

I want my impact on my students to be part of the catalyst that helped them to find out who they are, to be productive members of society, and fully realized human being. I want them to celebrate their uniqueness and be brave. Bravery to me is being scared but doing it anyway. Jumping in with both feet and having faith in yourself that you will figure things out. I want them to care about this world and contribute to its greatness. I want them to be comfortable in their own skin. They should develop a love of learning and stay curious about life. It all sounds very cliché but I really mean it and I hope I model these ideals.

Being a teacher is a very noble profession. I am constantly reminding myself of the responsibilities I have shaping young minds. I am often amazed at the ideas they take away from my class. It is sometimes hard to tell if you are making any impact or if they are going through the motions. Every once and a while, a parent will tell me something their child told them about my class. It is very gratifying to know that I touched someone’s life. Students leave handmade cards on my desk. The elementary students have such pure hearts, I live for those cards.

            I see the role of the teacher evolving to a combination of teacher/counsellor. The social problems and mental illnesses that are present in our students will make our job descriptions morph into a different combination of skills. Presently, I don’t feel, teachers are equipped to deal with the types of emotional problems in our classrooms. Our teacher training did not prepare us for the inclusive classroom, lack of resources, and the types of learning issues that are a regular part of our day. I believe each school will need an expert to deal with the students with autism spectrum disorder. This disorder is more prevalent in the classroom and research indicates it is on the rise. http://autismcanada.org/

There is no question the role of the teacher has changed since I took my teacher training. It is natural for professions to evolve. Although I feel it is more challenging to be a teacher, my love of the educational process has not wavered.

                                                    Reference

Bracher, M. ((2006).Radical Pedagogy Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York: Palgrave MacMillan