On Becoming a Teacher

On Becoming a Teacher

On Becoming a Teacher Edmund M. Kearney Department of Psychology, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, USA

A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: 978-94-6209-390-4 (paperback) ISBN: 978-94-6209-391-1 (hardback) ISBN: 978-94-6209-392-8 (e-book) Published by: Sense Publishers, P.O. Box 21858, 3001 AW Rotterdam, The Netherlands https://www.sensepublishers.com/ Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved 2013 Sense Publishers No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.

This book is dedicated to the many master teachers I have had the good fortune of studying. I am sure there were many more I have inadvertently left off of the list, but these few deserve special mention: Jeanne Day Kathleen Disselhorst Sr. Florence Marie Gerdes Stanley Hauerwas Katherine Helm Edmund W. Kearney Mary Jane Kearney Eugene Kennedy Ray Kizelevicus Fr. Mark Link Leslie Martin Mark McDaniel P.J. O Mara Mike Pressley Jill Reich Alan Rosenwald Michael Schulein Roger Wiers John Zeunik

My dear, haven t you realized that it is you they are studying most? Mary Jane Kearney s mentor, and then Mary Jane Kearney to every educator she mentored. It is your privilege to be employed in teaching. St. John Baptiste de La Salle

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Introduction ix xi Part I Beginning the Journey 1. Choosing Wisely: Your Journey Begins with a Single Choice 3 2. Understanding Where You Came From: Appreciating Your Apprenticeship 5 Part II Being a Teacher 3. Being Authentic 11 4. Being Passionate 15 5. Being Zealous 19 6. Being Greedy 23 7. Being More than Tolerant: Celebrating Differences 27 Part III Classroom Culture 8. Earning Respect 33 9. Establishing Rules 37 10. Appreciating Group Processes and Dynamics 41 11. Creating a Culture of Inquiry 45 Part IV Knowing Your Students 12. Getting to Know You 51 13. Appreciating Learning Styles 55 14. Understanding Standardized Tests 59 15. Avoiding Gender, and Other, Biases in the Classroom 63 16. Dealing With Disabilities 67 vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS Part V Teaching 17. Planning Lessons: Know Your Top Three 73 18. Teaching to Mastery 77 19. Using Technology 81 20. Assessing Learning 85 Part VI Improving Your Craft 21. Studying Successful Teachers 93 22. Staying Current 97 23. Welcoming Feedback I: Stakeholders 101 24. Welcoming Feedback II: Managing the Process 105 Part VII Conclusions 25. Following the Golden Rule (of Teaching) 111 26. Final Words 113 References 115 Index 117 viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book would not have been possible without the support and suggestions of my wife, Cristine. Thanks for doing more than just tolerating my figaries. A special thanks to Dr. Jeanette Mines, Academic Associate to the Provost and former Dean, College of Education, Lewis University for her review and comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Thanks to Nancy Hanley and Christine Morrow for their optimistic attitude and clerical support of this project. Sincere thanks to Robert Kearney for his advice, support, and suggestions regarding this project. We all aspire to write as well as you. ix

INTRODUCTION This book is intended for all who love teaching and for all of us who aspire to be great teachers. Learning to teach is a lifelong journey that is exhilarating and frustrating, demanding and rewarding, and certainly unending. It is my hope that the thoughts and ideas shared in this book can contribute a small piece to the process of you becoming an excellent teacher. Although this book is addressed directly to new teachers and those just learning the craft, I am hopeful that there are lessons within for teachers at all levels of experience and expertise. While I obviously believe that those learning to teach should seriously reflect on the twenty-five topics raised herein, I found it helpful to reconsider these same issues as I wrote. Even if you are an experienced teacher, reading these essays might affect you similarly, possibly even rekindling in you some dormant passions that have lost some of their power along the way. Being a teacher is truly a societal privilege. It is not for everyone and comes with great responsibilities and demands. You are molding lives. You must, therefore, make a commitment to the lifelong process of learning in general, and to the specific task of mastering the craft of teaching. To do less than this is to squander the opportunity and perhaps even abuse the privilege. This book is not an instructional manual. While a great many topics are covered, many are not. Certainly the reader will not find all of his or her answers here. Rather, I am hopeful that the reader discovers an opportunity to think deeply about essential components of both teaching and learning. This book is written as a collection of brief essays, each followed by a few questions for either reflection or discussion. It is divided into six content sections, bookended by an introductory and conclusory essay. In Part I, I introduce you to the journey that awaits yo u. In Part II, I address the essential attributes of a great teacher. Part III is devoted to creating a positive and empowering classroom culture. Part IV explores the importance of knowing your students from multiple perspectives. Part V directly addresses teaching in the classroom. Finally, Part VI focuses on becoming better at your work throughout your career. In the end, this book is intended for all of us who love teaching. In writing it, I am hopeful that I can include you in my community of learners as we explore this exciting process together. As such, I welcome your thoughts as you read, at the end, or later in your journey. Please do not hesitate to share them with me and thank you for letting me lead a part of your journey if only for this brief time. Edmund M. Kearney kearneed@lewisu.edu xi