Week One Assignment 1A

Welcome to my teaching blog! I always enjoy self-reflection and figuring out how I can improve as both a teacher and a person. 

I am mostly ENFP according to both personality tests, which makes sense because I am primarily an extrovert and enjoy working closely with other people. The content area of English Language Arts truly matches well with my personality type. There are so many shades of gray and things that are open to interpretation in English, as opposed to a more rigid field like math, and I love helping students see multiple points of view.

Novels are a perfect example. Authors create characters and stories that don't have a practical application in the real world, but our lives are enriched by studying these stories. They teach us more about the adventure of being human and how to empathize with others by actually probing into another mindset while we read. 

Language arts also includes speaking and listening standards, so the ability to get up in front of a group and express oneself--whether through debate, presenting evidence, or performing readers' theater--is a life skill that will benefit students throughout their lives. 

Extroversion, intuition, feeling, and perceiving are traits that benefit any teacher, because I truly see the potential in all my students and can identify with them and the struggles they face. ENFPs understand the concept of individualized instruction--that one size never fits all when it comes to how students learn. In addition to teaching students the standards, I also care about their character education: making sure they make positive choices and are good friends to their peers and leave me with the life skills to be successful. 

Those are some of the intangible results of good teaching practices. Not every effect one has on a student will show up as a data point. But that doesn't mean those human connections aren't valuable. Students can learn facts almost anywhere these days. It's the person who cares for students and helps guide them as three-dimensional beings who will make the biggest difference in their lives. 

Colleges and employers want students and employees who are critical thinkers, who solve problems, and who communicate well with others. They don't want information-regurgitaters. So I constantly have to ask myself what value the assignments I'm giving will have for students going forward. Anything that is busy work or solely memory-based usually isn't the best way to teach or to learn. Students should be asking questions, making connections, and synthesizing what they learn to create something new. My teaching style of taking the material and improvising sections depending on student needs will serve them well. Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan, and the ability to be flexible and positive are great life skills.