accuracy in instructions and grammar. If a student writes
“a” piece of bread instead of “the” every time they mention
bread, then clearly they must mean to get a new piece of
bread. This whole operation leads to some very odd looking
and messy sandwiches which never get eaten and me usually covered in peanut butter and jelly.
(Continued from page 12)
Q. What motivates you to stay engaged with your
teaching?
C.L.: When students provide feedback at the end of a semester and outlines the details of the impact on their life.
When they reach out to me weeks or months after the
semester to let me know how they are doing and how
they are still motivated to continue school and to learn
not just ride the grade train ~ when they tell me, I had a
role in that motivation and energy, then I am convinced
all the more that I am a teacher.
C.L.: Hard question because I enjoy so many of the assignments.
In the beginning I always engage in a who are you
activity, we complete a knock off of the MBTI through
www.humanmetrics.com (Jungian Typology Test) and
we do an experiential DiSC assessment (behavioral tool)
~ it has always appeared important for the students to
understand each other as well as for them to understand
me, and me, them. In addition it is important to frame
their differences in a way that normalizes those differences and unique traits, as opposed to a typical reaction
of judging / judgment, which often occurs. This activity
always sets the framework for discussion and disclosure,
which has proven valuable.
T.R.: Learning is what motivates me to teach. I love learning. When I learn something new and interesting, I have a
burning desire to share it because it excites me so. I am
always seeking knowledge. As an ESL teacher, I get a double shot of learning. As I prepare students for college level
courses, I may one day be a science teacher, another day a
history teacher, and another day a humanities teacher. I
am constantly reading and learning about many different
subject areas. Then as I teach the students to write and
speak, they use what they have learned to teach me about
their culture and lives. It is truly a job in which the more I
give, the more I get in return.
I also use weekly journal entries. I inform them that
it is a conversation between us during the semester. The
amount of coaching that can occur during that exercise is
relevant, critical, and often cathartic toward the student’s
motivation.
P.S.: The students keep me motivated. I love teaching! And, I am always learning!
Though these items are not about the content of our
course, they are a springboard that sets the tone and determines a desire for them to continue to return. My job is
to evoke curiosity to learn more. If I don’t do that…I’ve
failed.
J.P.: I get as much joy in teaching, maybe more, than the
students do in learning. I enjoy seeing students learn
math, especially when they have struggled with this subject all through high school or when an older student is
just getting started in college.
J.P.: Any Algebra class. I enjoy seeing the students learn
math concepts and eventually solving equations and
those dreaded WORD problems.
Another very important motivation for me is that I
get to visit with several Adjunct and Full-Time Instructors
that I have known for more years than I like to remember.
Q. How do you balance teaching, research, service,
and your personal life?
Q. What is your favorite assignment and why?
T.R.: I don’t see my professional life and personal life as
separate entities. Each is a part of me. The older I get, the
more I strive to live in the moment. Monday is just as exciting and fun as Friday or Saturday. At home, I’m surrounded by a great bunch of people who love and support
me. When I’m at work, I’m also surrounded by a great
bunch of people who love and support me. I think this is
the key. I can see where these could become two different
worlds if I were not blessed on both ends.
P.S.: My favorite assignment is the literature review
presentation in majors biology. Students present on a
current biology topic using peer-reviewed articles. I am
always astounded at how well the students perform and
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