The Art of Teaching, the Science of Learning

If there is one thing I have learned from teachers college so far, it's that teaching does not equal learning. Learning is structured, first you read, observe, or listen. Next you try to do "it", usually you fail. But then you try to do "it" again, maybe you still fail. Maybe you fail harder and faster than the first time. However, eventually you do, and after you do "it" whatever it is you've learned. Learning is a behaviour or skill or thought that sticks with you, it's yours now, forever. Although if you don't use it, you may lose it, next time you try to learn "it" it'll be easier.

Teaching on the other hand is an art made up of many talents. It involves leading, guiding, helping, encouraging, talking, presenting, accessing, and even learning. Learning does not require a philosophy like teaching does. To truly teach and teach well you must first understand how to learn. To learn to lead you must learn to follow.

My philosophy of teaching is deeply shaped by my own journey as a lifelong student. From K–12 to a four-year university degree and later a master's program, I experienced a wide range of assessments that often brought unnecessary stress into my life. Those memories inform the kind of teacher I aspire to be: one whose students don't walk into class weighed down by anxiety about the next assignment, but instead arrive eager to participate, knowing that if they engage meaningfully, the grades will follow.

As teacher candidates, we carry years of schooling with us, and with that comes an insider's perspective on the challenges our students will face. We know firsthand the pressures of exams, deadlines, and academic expectations. This "bird's-eye view" gives us a responsibility to not only prepare students for their next step—whether that's the next grade level, college, a trade, or university—but also to guide them with empathy.

Assessments should challenge students, yes, but only when we as teachers have equipped them with the tools, practice, and confidence to succeed. Thus, as an educator I will always remember what it means to be a student. I will remember the long days and nights of studying for a subject you may never touch again, I will remember the feeling of waking up stressed each morning to do well in class, and I will remember the anxiety that comes along with going into an assessment that I do not feel fully prepared for because I was too busy to study for it. As teachers we must remember who we were as students and who we wish we had as teachers then. 

Mak.M@OTU