When I first started teaching, I met a student who was afraid to express herself. During writing, she would not lift a pencil; she was quiet, shy, intimidated by all the other classmates and terrified of her own voice. I wanted to reach her so one day after school I took a piece a paper and I wrote her a small note, “How was your day? I enjoyed lunch today. How about you?” She replied with short sentences at first. We continued this correspondence every day for the next two months. This dialogue eventually helped her to begin to write and speak up in class. She was able to overcome her shyness and express herself in a personal and unique way.
Helping this student helped me reach and connect to all students creatively especially to the ones who needed a little more compassion and encouragement. My teaching experience is largely due to my love of theatre, the dramatic arts, and sports. For example, when I teach history, we do not only learn history; we re-enact the period and to a certain extent, live it. The children look forward to role-playing and throw themselves into it with great enthusiasm. I am constantly striving to provide a positive environment for my students where individual development can grow within a supportive and friendly framework.
Reading these articles this week challenged me. As I reflected on my own technology development, I realized that I have a lot to learn. I realized that where I am in my technology development is a direct result of my experiences and interactions with my students. I learned a lot from my teaching experiences and yet I realize how much I still need to learn. Having the opportunity to reflect on myself has given me perspective and the excitement to learn how to best reach people in their own way of communicating through technology.
Jennifer Bieber
(posted by Jessica Millstone 3/21/11)
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