My Academic Life
Outstanding Teachers - Professional Website Review - Professional Development Plan
Outstanding Teachers
When my best friend’s dad found out that I plan to be a teacher, he gave me the book “The Passionate Teacher” by Robert L. Fried. Fried writes, “Passionate teachers I have observed are able to develop a culture that forges relationships of integrity and respect, in which people—adults and kids—know they are engaged in important work together.” What follows are three reflections on teachers from my past that have exemplified that statement. They are teachers who have shaped who I am today. Through an academic setting, they have taught me to care about others, connect things to my life and how to be a student. They have taught me that it takes more than a textbook and a command of a field to be a good teacher. It takes inspired people who care about their students to be a good teacher. These three teachers do that. They genuinely care about each of their students, beyond the test scores.
Carl Recchia
Carl Recchia is one of the most influential teachers in my life. Besides being my choral instructor, he has also been a friend and inspiration to me. He taught me to sing and he taught me to live a life of service to others. Every action of Carl’s was an action of service to his students. Most teachers come to class, teach their students, and then go home. Carl is different. He invests himself in his students. For example, when my girlfriend and I were going through a rough spot, Carl called me at home over the weekend to check if I was all right. Anytime I have a question or a problem, I know that Carl is always there for me, no matter what time of day.
Carl approaches his classroom with the attitude of an empiricist. He strongly believes that it is detrimental to allow students with “sub-standard preparation, ability, or interest” (text p. 56) into a high level ensemble. Instead, he understands that all students are at different stages of their musical education. In order to tailor to the needs of different skilled students, he does his best to create many different venues for participation in the choral program. He also teaches us what it takes to succeed beyond the classroom. Our choral class is less about learning music and more about learning lessons about life. A large part of Carl’s philosophy towards teaching centers on the questions “Why did I come into school today?” and “What am I going to achieve today?” Before graduation last June, Carl told me that if I cannot find answers to those questions, I would never make it as a teacher. One of the most inspirational things our choir does is singing at retirement homes in the community. Every fall, the Men’s A Cappella group and the Madrigal Singers go around singing to the elderly. We sing holiday tunes, as well as hit jazz songs from their time. Carl comes into work every morning because he knows he is a part of something bigger than a choir program. He comes to work because he knows that our ensembles bring happiness to people all throughout our community. This care for benefit outside the curriculum also shows the Pragmatic side of his philosophy.
Jeff Hindes
Jeff Hines was my history teacher for 6th through 8th grade. I have only begun to recognize his passion for history and teaching over the past couple months. Like Carl, Jeff teaches beyond the classroom. He believes that it is counter-productive to dwell on subjects that are of no interest to a class. During each unit of study, he would carefully monitor how the class was responding to the information and he would constantly try to make things more interesting for us. He also practices a pragmatic philosophy. He puts a lot of emphasis on the methods of learning. Besides teaching us about US History, he also spent hours of class time showing us how to do research and how to be discriminatory when looking for information on the Internet.
It was not until recently that i realized what an inspiring teacher Jeff was. Besides covering all of the required material (which none of us middle school kids really cared about), Jeff always had a connection to our lives. Jeff had us “decode” the journal of a lighthouse keeper from our area. The journal was very old and was barely legible. We typed up the journal and uploaded it to the Internet for people to read. Teachers like Jeff find ways to inspire kids to learn. He finds things that will excite the class and incorporates exciting projects into the curriculum.
Pam Wise
Pam Wise was my elementary school teacher. I do not remember a great deal about elementary school, but for whatever reason, I remember she was a wonderful teacher. Most elementary school teachers come and go, but still fourteen years later, Pam is teaching in the same classroom. This shows a deep, real dedication to her students and that her job is not just a job. Her job is a passion that she is fortunate enough to be able to pursue every day of her life.
Pam was always very adamant about teaching students to be excited about learning. Her pragmatic approach to teaching is evident in the way that she measured success. She always felt that it was the means, not the product that was important. In first grade, I did a presentation on Benjamin Franklin, and even though I completely froze during the presentation and forgot all of my facts, Pam knew that I had done the work and that I had learned a lot about Franklin. For this reason, she felt that my project was a success.
Pam teaches children to respect each other and most importantly, she teaches children to become students. It is because of Pam’s love for learning that I find myself excited to go to school each and every day. She infuses a love for learning into every one of her students. Such a talent is very rare and I am very fortunate to have crossed paths with her.