Teaching Philosophy

Wrote this today for my degree, thought I would share. Hope all are well!!!

Education is a form of learning where knowledge, habits, and or skills are introduced, practiced, and mastered to an individual or a group of individuals.  Education usually takes place with the facilitation and guidance of a person that specializes in that particular area. An experienced person is mainly the one who guides the education process. The processing and organization of ideals and information is also another example of what education is. Any situation or experience that effects the way someone thinks, feels, acts, responds, or reacts is education.

Education should be first and foremost fun and interesting. Education should make the students feel a certain way; it should motivate them to learn more than before. Often times people will forget what is said, what is done, but rarely do they forget how something made them feel. Educators must strive to touch the heart and souls of our students. If they are able to get them to feel passionate about something, anything, than they have won. If we are able to talk to their emotions and hearts, teachers have found a direct path to their souls. Movies and music have an effect on human beings that is hard to put into words. Movies, music, and art touch students emotions like nothing that may have come before. There is a reason that people say the arts speak to the soul, and pulls at our heart strings and transports to another world. This is what education should be like. Even the greatest artists in the world that have the most creative genius still need guidance and education to continue to grow. Without the proper education and guidance, this genius will be put to waste. Education allows students to find new ideas and solutions to problems with a new outlook for problems that have puzzled them before.

Education should be demonstrated in an ethical and responsible manner. After all, educators have the highly regarded responsibility of educating the youth for the future. Educators must relate to the moral principles and the branch of knowledge that they are dealing with. Teachers have influence over the students in the classroom. Respect and responsibility need to be modeled, so students learn how they are supposed to interact. If students do not respect their teachers, they are not going to want to learn the lessons being taught. This carries over into the community and the real world. If teacher are moral and ethical, the parents will have more buy in and will support what the teacher is trying to do.   

Educators must have an efficient and effective way of measure achievement, whether it is a reward system or a fair and clear grading policy. Educators must continuously collect data on their students and also themselves, to make sure they are on track and see how they can improve. If done properly, educators will establish a trend of lessons and an accountable solution to what works with the students and their teaching. If things are fair in the classroom, students will be comfortable because things are consistent and it makes it in a way a safer learning environment.  

We as educators must stay as positive as we can at all times. Students feed off of emotion so we have to create a structured and safe environment for them to learn in. If students feel safe in a classroom they are less distracted and more willing to step out of their shell and try new things. In order for educators to be “highly qualified” we must obtain a mastery of the subject they are teaching. This is done by specialized degrees and testing that shows their knowledge and the application of their skills. 

If an educator wants to effectively and efficiently teach a subject, they must have mastery. A teacher has to be a master of the subjects they are instructing. Students will know quickly if the teacher is on top of their game, if not, there will be no respect given and anarchy will ensue.  True mastery will come through to the students and enthusiastic, energetic, and confident message. This will help motivate the students when they see their teacher that into the subject matter. The courses at WGU have prepared me and given me the confidence to I know I can handle what will be put in front of me in any learning situation, in the classroom, on the track, and in life. If a question arises that I don’t know the answer to, an out of control situation, a crisis, or a discipline problem, I know where to find them because of the foundation WGU has given me. I feel prepared to handle most any situation is put in front of me because of the groundwork I have done at WGU

Clearly stating what my philosophy of teaching is, it will put a tangible goal in front of me to try to achieve throughout my career. This philosophy will keep me striving each and every day to be the best teacher I can be. By learning at WGU and applying what I have learned, I get to apply the knowledge and perform the task of education and positively influencing young people on a regular basis. I will get to practice my craft and hone my skills daily. This repetition will increase my drive and my motivation to educate with a passion. With this passion I hope to inspire and positively influence my students for years to come. There is no test to see if you will be a good teacher, I think it comes down to confidence, preparation, planning, and passion.  Ward (1965) “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” (p. 32)

 

Investment

I do not believe in coincidences, this is a lesson I learned a few years ago through my sponsor. I believe that everything in our lives happen exactly as they should. I believe that people come in and out of our lives at the exact right moment. I believe that relationships begin and end to give us the ability to grow and learn something.

Everything around has has a meaning or a lesson that we can learn to better ourselves or prevent pain again. Whether or not we choose to see the lesson and learn from it is up to us. Some lessons are harder to learn than others, that is just life. I think in the back of our mind and in our hearts we know that a certain decision is either a good one or bad one from the beginning. What makes us decide on those decisions that will either hurt or help us? I like to tell myself that things are going to work out better than I expect, I am usually wrong, it has to do with putting expectations on people or situations.

There is a fine line in over involvement and not enough in a relationship. This summer I lost myself in one, and not in a good way. I learned a few very valuable lessons from it; do not settle for what you aren't 100% on, you have to keep yourself healthy and grounded in every way you can, and if you are not happy about something you need to speak on it quickly. If you chooooooose to hold it inside, you are going to build a resentment which are never a good thing. 

I do not think that you can over-invest in yourself. Through prayer, meditation, gym, fellowship, music, and this blog I am able to keep myself healthy. I have rough patches just like everyone else, but its those times that I need to reevaluate my situation and move forward. These are just things that help keep me sane. I do not think investment in self is or ever will be a bad one!

Thank you all for your support,

Z

Control

What a weekend..... obviously the home town team won the big game, that was great. Had an amazing Friday night,  I read my 6th step to my sponsor on Saturday, then got to hang out with a co-worker that I very much look up to for a multitude of reasons. Today I had the honor of chairing my first ASC (Area Service Committee) for Central Washington.

Started my weekend off right and am ending it right for sure! Many things are coming to mind as I am reflecting over the past few days. I will try my best to put them into a readable thought process. Going to my sponsors house is a very spiritual and centering experience for me. He lives on a ranch on the top of Saddle Mountain. 46,000 acres of cows, dirt, hills, and sage......for you that know me, you are probably thinking to yourself "what the hell is that city boy doing?" you would be correct to assume I am out of my element up there.

Being up there puts some things in prospective for me. I get so wrapped up in the hustle of my daily grind, I tend to get too plugged in. I am able to be free and unplug up there, to truly admire some of the earths beauty and not worry about anything than living in the moment. I took my steps and my camera up there and had an amazing experience. (I will post some pics in a bit) When I read my steps to Ron (sponsor) he makes notes so we can discuss things at the end or as they come up. Naturally I take what he says to me about my recovery and growth very seriously. The 6th step deals with character defects and it was a step I started writing this August after a relationship where I lost myself ended. You see, as she was pulling away I was trying to fill that void with my character defects. Big void right :) the one that kept creeping up is the title of this post, CONTROL. I have worked this step for the last 5 months and incorporated into my life. I believe that if we are not able or not willing to do this, we are not ready to read the step and move on. For me the steps are all about personal growth and moving forward. I lost myself in the summer relationship for many reasons, and none of them matter anymore. I was able to objectively look at  and work on them. Ron always tells me this two word phrase that until recently only started to understand. LET GO, very fitting and something I am working on.

Letting go of things you can't or shouldn't be trying to control only frees up your energy. It has been my experience that when you try to control a situation, it never ends up working out for you. Some lessons I have to learn and re-learn, this is one of them. I have struggled with this issue my entire life and only after about getting half way through reading my step did I realize this. The light bulb went off and I realize now that it is the basis of many of my problems I have today. CONTROL, you see I am not in control at all when I am trying to control things. Feels good to have learned this lesson and even better to make a commitment to myself to work on it.  What is the point of learning about a character defect and not do anything about it. Non growth is not an option for me anymore!

I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy lives and reading a bit about mine. Here are some pics from this weekend.

Well hello there, are you hungry?

Looking through new eyes in 2014

Well the new year has come and gone, welcome to 2014. I decided once again to not make any resolutions this year. For some reason I always think it is an out for some one to make them than break them 2 months later. So instead I decided to use a new set of eyes to look at my life through. I am starting my 4th year of coaching, in the middle of my 3rd year of educating, and my last year of my degree. This time next year I should be talking to you loyal followers about graduating. After some talk with my pops, (who is rarely wrong) I decided to not take a year off and pursue my masters right out the gate. I am thinking I would like to obtain a masters in administration. Being a principle or vice principle would be a great way to end my career in education once I am old and hopefully not too fat. :) I have a long road of teaching ahead of me but it is just a thought.

As I am now into my 4th year of recovery it is also time to think about how I can grow more than I already have. This Sunday will mark a huge accomplishment for me as I am to be voted in as the Central Washington's Area Chair. This was one of the first goals I set in my recovery and because of the program, the people in the program, and my Higher Power I am about to achieve this. I have to remain teachable and willing to do what is best for the program and my recovery. I try to go to bed each night better than I was when I wake up. It doesn't always happen, I make mistakes and sometimes people get hurt in the process. I am not perfect, I am human.... I try to learn from these mistakes and move forward in hopes to not make them again.

This Christmas was great, I got to spend time with my twin brother and enjoyed every minute of it. It's funny, we spent the first 19 years of our life fighting like cats and dogs, the next 11 pulling farther away because of my addiction, and the last 4 becoming closer than ever. I miss that dude more than words can describe. We had a blast and many inappropriate laughs this holiday. We even met Santa Claus......

We used to get our picture taken each year for my gma when she was alive, so we thought we would do it for old time sake. It was fun and goofy, but most of all it brought a smile to my family's face.

I got me a new toy for Xmas too, I bought a Nikon D3200 DSLR Camera. I have been learning about photography in one of my students classes this year and always loved taking pictures. Unfortunately my iPhone camera doesn't produce the quality of pics I am proud of. So I did a ton of research and stepped up my game. I have been introduced to a world I didn't know existed, I am a child in the land of giants here. I enjoy taking pictures and enjoy learning a new craft. Here are a few of my favorite pics I have taken so far. More to come I promise, I would like to incorporate some of them into this blog to show the true beauty of the world we live in.

This one is by far my favorite so far!

So here is to a year of growth and looking through new eyes. As always thank you for the support and following my journey on this earth.

Love

Twinies!!!

Priorities

It occurred to me last week at some point that it had been awhile since I last posted. Being that I am busy, I decided to put it in the back of my brain and move on. Well I had a little free time tonight and thought I may share some thoughts.

I have been overwhelmed lately with a particular class in school. Geometry, Statistics, and Data Analysis. You are probably thinking, "jeeze I did that in middle school" and you would be right for the most part. unfortunately the thought of, "if you don't use it, you lose it" is true. I had forgotten almost completely everything I had learned up to that point. Added with the fact that the scope of this class rivals any three at a normal university, it made this class very difficult. Studying for the final these last few weeks has quickly become my biggest priority. I have put off many things in my regiment that keep me healthy. You see I am a year away from graduating and if everything doesn't work out how it is planned out I wont be student teaching next fall. I know if it doesn't happen it won't be the end of the earth as I know it. I am just so ready to be done with school and be in my own classroom.

The more I am spending in different classrooms I am starting to realize what I think I want to teach. I have always been an underdog/rise to the challenge type of guy. I figure there are two different types of people in the world, the people who get math, and everyone else. I fall into the second category, but me being the guy I am, I want to teach middle school math. Here's my thought process behind it, if I can understand something to the point of being able to explain it in terms that I understand it, there is a good chance that the non-math brained people are going to understand it too. The math brain people are going to get it no matter what because it is a mathematical concept.

I have spent some time in a teachers classroom where one of my students' is. He is the type of teacher that the kids love, respect, and want to be around. He is also the type of teacher that loves his job and is able to relate to the kids on a different level than just teaching math. The funny thing is, is we went to high school together and probably said 10 words to each other the entire time. Granted I was a dick in high school to most people that weren't part of my crew, but if you have been reading my blogs, you know that people can change. I look up to this guy for a few reasons; he loves his job, he relates to the kids to the point that they enjoy the class, he is deeply passionate about having the kids learn, and I believe although he would never admit it, he inspires them daily. Not to mention the more I get to know this guy, the more I am finding how down to earth and funny he is. This is the kind of teacher and thought process that drives me to get my schooling done and try to be a better educator each day.

I get frustrated sometimes because I know where I work and what I do is what is teaching me to be a better educator, not learning the cognitive brain development theory of Vygotsky or when the text book was invented. I understand though it is part of the process, my dad always used to say, "you have to play by someone else's rules to get where you want to be." Truth that keeps me working towards the finish line in my schooling, the finish line is in place, just gotta put my chin down and finish strong.

As always thank you for being a part of my journey, peace and blessings to all!

Z

Gratitude

First Sunday of the month, you know what that means....... ASC (Area Service Committee), yup I said service...... If you aren't involved in service and you are in recovery, SHAME ON YOU!

Today was one of those days that reflecting upon it tonight for which I am eternally grateful. I am grateful for the craziness this morning at Public Relations subcommittee,  struggling with my own control issues, lets me know I am not cured. Grateful that I had the ability to work through my own shit and not take it out on anyone else. Grateful that I am able to be of service to Narcotics Anonymous. 4 years ago today I went to my first area, I was nominated to represent my home group at only 45 days clean. Not because I was so awesome or overly qualified, but because I was WILLING to do it. I walked in to this room with about 45 people that were being loud, obnoxious, and a little crazy. "This is area," I thought to myself. I had heard tales of people screaming, calling names, and even throwing chairs at others (I pictured Roadhouse the movie)

Well I have yet to see anything thrown at anyone else or any names being called out of spite, or screaming at the top of their lungs. Maybe some raised voices but it does get pretty loud in their so you have to speak up. The thing of it is, we are all very passionate about many things, but one thing in particular....SERVICE WORK. After my head stopped spinning I settled down and was able to take it all in and try my best to figure it out. 4 years later I am still trying to figure it out. :) I made a decision that I wanted to be Area's Chairperson some day long down the road and many years later. I have been in service ever since and honestly can't see myself doing it any other way.

I have had many positions in service in the time I have been clean and served many different bodies. (not those kinds of bodies)  bodies as in committees. Well today I was nominated for Chair of course me being me I started to have all these doubts in my mind about not being ready or not being able to fulfill the job's duties. Than my Ride or Die brother in recovery Brandon told me that I wouldn't have been nominated if I wasn't ready. I have said this before, things happen exactly as they should and the man upstairs only puts people and situations in your life when he believes you can handle them. Well I guess my I am ready or at least that is what I have been told. I have some GIANT shoes to fill with the last 3 chairs having all had 9+ years of recovery and a ton of knowledge. If I am elected I am going to do my best to be the best Chair I can be.

One of the many things I have been able to accomplish in the last 4 years I am grateful for. With all of the success and failures I have had since getting clean, not once did I think going back out was a good decision. I owe all my success and growth to the people I have met over the past few years and the program of Narcotics Anonymous. As always, thank you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed the sweet picture I added for a little bit of awesomeness. The picture is from when he was fighting that dude by the water and ripped his throat out. EPIC SHIT.....hahaha

Love, peace, and blessings family