9/21/17; Lesson 02: Response to “Is the Great American Teacher Dead?”

The title of this article, “Is the Great American Teacher Dead?”, intrigued me. What are the reasons to think something like that? The title implies that the great teacher, American or other nationality, is not quite alive. Then, the subtitle, Principles to Resurrect Meaningful, Effective, and Consciousness Raising Instruction, convinced me that I need to pay much attention to it given that I am preparing to become a teacher.

Using the story about Demosthenes and Satyrus, Dean John Ivers taught that learning can be boring or something powerful and compelling. The difference is made by the teaching process when it is “passionate, positive, inspiring, inviting, meaningful, and transformative”, as John Ivers says. These words brought into my mind the complexity of items a teacher needs to know, plan, and do. My thoughts went to what I learned in the previous courses about cultural diversity, multiple intelligences, learning styles, lesson planning, using various means to make lesson more attractive, knowing and helping students to become involved and learn.

All those teachings had a big impact on me. As a profession, I am a translator, not a teacher. But I taught and teach English to persons of various ages: children and adults. My way of planning lessons improved. The lessons are “richer” in videos, quizzes, activities requiring students’ direct involvement. Those principles can be implemented when teaching an English lesson as well as when teaching a Sunday school lesson. I did that and I was amazed by the results. People’s attention and retention increased.

Professor Ivers’ article enriched my knowledge. I keep thinking of the principles of Invitational Education: trust, optimism, respect, intentionality, and caring. Transformative Education is also inviting to meditation. It is about experiences that creates “a sense that we cannot go back to the way we were before the experience.” I think this is what happens to me as a result of attending these courses at BYUI.