By Klorraine in , , , on 10:43 AM with No comments
I think the coolest thing in the world as a teacher is when someone is dead honest with you about what's okay in a classroom and what isn't. I actually never thought I was going to be a teacher because it sounded like defeat. You failed at being a writer, so you might as well teach kids some grammar. I didn't realized how much I wanted to teach until I realized that teaching isn't those who have failed in their passion. Teaching is being so excited about what you love that you want to infect others with it.

Teaching is a zombie apocalypse.

Photo by Yo Mostro
Though awesomely infectious, I've had very little experience in a classroom full of students that aren't as interested as you'd hoped. I'm still going through that process and that makes it all still seem pretty magical. But there are some things that college classes can't teach you. So I decided to go to a source.

In the blog, Cult of Pedagogy, Jennifer Gonzalez writes about various experiences she had in her eight years of middle school Language Arts. I think it is probably one of the most honest blogs to not only teachers, but parents as well. She discusses a variety of topics that really pinch that massive splinter most teachers avoid talking about. She tells stories about how she messed up, what she's seen teachers do wrong, and why it's completely valid in the long run.

For example, one of her posts revolved around humiliation in the classroom. She used the example surrounding a TV chef named Joe Bastianich.

Photo by Zagat Buzz 
I've never personally watched him, but she gave a great description of why this man bothered her so much. He wasn't exactly a supportive person. He beat people down all the time throughout his show. She compared it to teaching. Many teachers use humiliation as a behavior control tool which isn't the best idea. It takes the focus from learning as well as telling the student that they are always going to be stupid and wrong.

In case you want to check it out yourself, here's the link to the blog post:

http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/joe-bastianich-teaching/

So much of her blog is filled with helpful advice and stories and examples that a new teacher wouldn't know yet. I highly recommend this blog if you are looking for a bit of honest advice whether you're new to teaching or just need some well thought out advice.

 http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/


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