Wrap Up

So we have reached the end of the class.  I have taken several things away from this class.  Most were affirmations of things that I had previously thought, but some were new.

First, it was truly impressive to hear just how dedicated a group we had in our class.  While everyone had different ideas about what it meant to be a great teacher, no one was necessarily wrong.  There's no "great teacher" cookie cutter.  I think the takeaway was that a great teacher is able to adapt and meet the needs of a diverse population of students that changes from year to year, month to month, and often day to day.  Issues may arise and it is our job to be flexible enough to handle whatever our students (or other adults) may throw at us.

Second, even in the whitest classroom in America, there is diversity.  Diversity isn't just race.  Diversity is really anything that sets anyone apart.  Even if you had a class that was totally white, totally heterosexual, and totally male or female there would still be diversity.  It is truly crazy to think about how different one person is from the next, but it is something important to keep in mind for our students.

Third, this class affirmed my belief that what I am doing is a good thing.  Again, cookie cutters don't fit teaching.  You can't stick to one formula and run it into the ground.  It is all about adapting and being able to keep up with the students.  That's not to say that you should be familiar with every song that they like or every movie they watch, but you also shouldn't be closed off.

Finally, something that I took away was that not only is it crucial for us to be understanding of various situations, but oftentimes when we fall into a minority category (or can relate) it benefits our students immensely.  Confession time: despite being a (somewhat) mature 24 year old who is comfortable with who he is, I hid part of that from my students last year.  I think that much of the fear for GLBTQ students in coming out is that people will change their opinions of them.  This was one thing that I felt last year.  After having shed that concern so long ago, it came back in a different form.  After having talked in class and hearing Arthur talk about how he had "come out" to his students, I finally decided that there really wasn't anything to lose.  I run the Gay-Straight Alliance and I figured that if that were a big enough hint to students and they wanted to know, I shouldn't hide it from them.  It's all about being a positive figure.  Really, as I am sure most people can guess, when students found out that I am gay, nothing really changed.  Students who are GLBTQ were excited.  One girl told me "It's so cool!  Usually your teachers are just boring, but you're different!".  It has really opened up a lot of helpful and insightful dialogue and has provided another way to connect with students on a personal level.

I think that if I were to give advice to anyone who is not yet in the classroom it would be as follows.
1.  Don't take things personally.
2.  Laugh it off.
3. Don't forget why you got into teaching and constantly try to achieve that
4.  Don't be afraid to have fun
5. Blaze your own trail (but tread carefully until you have tenure :D )

Overall, this class has affirmed my belief that maybe, just maybe, the youth of today aren't totally screwed.  At least not if we as teachers do our best to help everyone.

Thank you to the class for providing a lot of awesome discussion and thank you to Phitsamay for helping me to see so many more ways to help my students.