#whyiteach

[earthanthem]

(via Pinterest)

[outreachdi]

My life mantra in a class for undergrads and grads. Love this work. #whyiteach #lifemantra https://www.instagram.com/p/ChtPBZ-ugC6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[earthanthem]

(via Pinterest)

[humansofoshkosh]

(1 of 3) “I'm an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher at Merrill Middle School in Oshkosh. I’ve been here for six years since the 2015-2016 school year until now. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, not because of a specific teacher that I had, but because I always loved school. It was a safe and enjoyable place for me. When I was younger, in second or third grade, my Grandma, who worked at Fox Valley Technical college had a foreign exchange student from Guatemala. I really connected with her, and in 4th grade was even a part of her wedding as a miniature bridesmaid, so I wanted to learn Spanish. I went to UW Oshkosh, I studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain and I got my degree in Spanish. One of my sorority sisters convinced me to do a minor in ESL. It's kind of the same thing, but instead of teaching Spanish, I would be teaching English to language learners. After I graduated I became a Spanish teacher in a high school in Manitowoc, Wis. When you're 21-22 and your students are 18 years old, the age gap is challenging. I also can't roll my R's so, to be honest, even though I liked it, I was not a very good Spanish teacher. So after half a year of teaching Spanish, I moved back to Oshkosh and I decided to teach students who are English language learners. Some of my students were from Congo, Burma, Syria, and Pakistan. They were so appreciative and could teach me their culture and I loved it. I've been here ever since and it's amazing. I work with students that are of refugee background or who were refugees or students who are second language learners like maybe their parents speak a second language and they were born in America but they speak their parents’ language. What I love most about my teaching experience has got to be my students. They are just so funny, they bring life to the classroom, they love to dance, and sing. I get messages in my email from students just asking how I am. I love that my students are so unique and so passionate about education. It’s quite a challenge teaching students who don’t understand English but it was even more so during the pandemic.” #HOOEssentialWorkers (Note from Grace Lim, founder of Humans of Oshkosh: Due to the global public health crisis that we are facing, we at Humans of Oshkosh have modified the way we collect HOO stories. Before COVID-19, the student storytellers in my class at UW Oshkosh go into the community to engage with people they meet. We are still doing that if we can, albeit, masked and socially distanced. The student storytellers are also engaging with people they live or work with and those they talk to on the phone or through email or FaceTime, Zoom, etc. This awesome teacher shared with us her story and personal photos via email and video chat.) https://ift.tt/2Z5E3Va

[newzdude]

There’s something special about getting to see the #creativity and #passion come to life in my students. #privileged #humbled #whyiteach . . . . . . #instagood #smile #lovewhatyoudo #picoftheday #photooftheday #storyteller #creative #dreamer #instapic #instadaily #professor #highereducation https://www.instagram.com/p/B2g3im6FrYU/?igshid=3k2iobt38zf2

[ruffstuff]

Guys, this is #whyiteach 😭 I’m so incredibly grateful for such thoughtful kids! Ahh my heart ♥️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B1PuMEslh01L5AkB445Z7GqQ8a9Kn_-cEefqaw0/?igshid=g3mq4d70z747

[spartan-bio]

[spartan-bio]

Operating in the Gray

“Mr Simmons, it just won’t work!”, she exclaimed, banging her hands down again on her trebuchet. As I slowly moved over toward her and the others in her group, a grief overtook them. Not a grief born from frustration or stress, but of an impending death. A perceived, looming academic demise because they knew their grade hinged and whether or not this tiny piece of fabric and four strands of jet black paracord would lift them from the depths of their current repetitive failures and fire a tennis ball at 50 ft or seal their fate. Alas, 26 feet and failure...tik-tok. What to do? “Other groups had successfully climbed this Everest. Surely their slings should work...what if we “use” theirs?”

Teachers this is what happens in the minds of Ss when the number is priority and not the learning. My instructions were clear, my expectations crystal. Their goals were “black and white” and yet, still, I had a group rationalize, “operating in the gray”. Some might say, “Using their resources”, or “being clever”. Others might just call it cheating. After 18 years in the classroom I’ve seen and heard it all, every variant, every permutation, from every level & sub-pop. We will be having a conversation on Monday as a group and class. But my question is, Teachers, how do you balance the learning, the group, and the assessment, when some are only only concerned with the number - especially the GT or advanced academic Students?