Within teaching, Palmer (2006) highlights the culture of fear that prevails in the educational field. This fear encourages teachers to distance themselves from their students. Althought he shares with us his experience with the "student from hell", we are urged to "be not afraid".
Reflect on the reading and post your reaction to it.
Prof. Arlinda Lopez
UPRAg
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After reading and discuss this chapter in class, I realize that we should have fear but not always. We as educators are the ones with the power. Sometimes, if we have fear we are affecting not only ourselves, our students and their learning too. The teacher needs to be connected with the student not disconnected. Also, we need to make or create an environment of trust and fearless, because the reality is those students will experience fear and we as educators are the ones that can avoid those fears in students. I was a student and I know their positions that they are into. I used to be afraid of everything this chapter mentions: of failing, not understanding, of challenge, of not having the right answer, of non speaking well or even look like a foolish in front of my classmates. We are confronting a whole new generation, we need to put a stop sign to those fears and help our students to learn in a correct, fearless and lovely manner. Again, as our Prof. Lopez said we are the ones with the power, so let’s take advantage of that power and have the courage to teach effectively without any fears, because in the future our students are going to be grateful and full of knowledge thanks to our effective teaching.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, in the chapter mentions about otherness will challenge to change our lives and it is true. Palmer is talking about the diversity among students and teachers, a good link into transformation. We are all different in a beautiful sense of way and this can be use as a tool to promote change in our lives. In the chapter affirms that diversity is the greatest fear of all but at the contrary it’s a valuable trait that teachers must embrace and it should not intimidate us. Further on the chapter there is a debate of fear it states that fears can also be healthy. It says that it can help teachers survive, learn and grow if we know how to decipher them. In my personal opinion what he is trying to point out in this statement is that if we fear just a little it means that we care about our students and our teaching. As teachers we will try to improve our methods, strategies and activities constantly in order for them to learn, and the fear of if it is working or not will be surrounding our thoughts. For that reason, we as teachers will try to make our teaching better and better throughout time. It takes more than courage to select between the fear that push us down and the healthy fear that enhance education and is going to reflect a progress of the students in and outside the classroom.
Now, the author shares with us an experience and he named it “the student from hell”. This part of the reading caught my attention, because next semester I will be doing practice and maybe I will encounter this situation. As a future educator, you never know where or when this could happen to you and it is better to be aware of these students. The author mentions as a teacher that this student was a personal challenge and forgot about the rest of the group. The teacher creates a stereotype of this boy. What I like most was that instead of the teacher help this student; the student help the teacher understand that silent students are not brain dead. Their only confronting through certain situations and we need to help them out for them to get involved in learning. The poor student was with a lot of stress and fear, obviously he was not going to respond effectively in class. This part of the chapter teach us that we need to know our students, and if they are not responding to class activities it is our duty to figure out what we need to do to help them out, because something is happening.
Finally, the chapter address to the creativity of young as generativity that means no matter our age we can still transforms the world of the teaching environment. We just need to be committed and love our amazing work. Believe it or not this chapter and the discussion of class help me to be more confidents with my teaching in the future.
Yashira M. Ramos
All teachers have fear. Fear of going inside a classroom, whether its because one feels that were not good enough to teach or aren’t quite prepared, or because of the students. We shouldn’t make the fear stay inside us to the point of not making us move forward to do better in our teaching, but rather help us to see were we need to improve as teachers so we can make the teaching process more effective. Fear is not something bad but rather good, because like the reading mentioned and what Yashira said, it shows that we care about our students. We should learn from our fear and be able to work with it. In the classroom we might have students that don’t pay attention, are always distracted, and don’t care of what you’re teaching them. But its our job as teachers to cope with the situation, and help those students become more attentive in class, involve them in the lesson, look for their needs, and get to know the students. Just because students don’t participate or aren’t active in the class doesn’t mean that they are “brain dead”, but that maybe their going through certain thing in their personal life’s that make them wonder off in the classroom and aren’t quite paying attention to the lesson being taught by the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the reading because it helped me see that everyone has fear of going inside a classroom and seeing the students as “aliens”, someone we don’t know, and also the fact of seeing a lot of diversity. Even the more experienced teachers go through this “fear”. It also helped me see that fear is good, and that we should always make the learning process focus on the students needs not on what makes it easier for us to teach. Finally that we should know that in the classroom the teacher has the power, but they should never abuse of this power but rather use it to make students learn more effectively.
As many of my classmates have commented before we have fear to enter to a classroom where reality is fate. As a student who is studying to become a teacher I'm well concern that, being in a classroom sounds exciting, but at the same time fear. For me, fear is something that challenges you, to be afraid of fear, if fear afraids you you will not acomplish anything. Fear holds you , betrays you and sometimes kill you. That is why I have defeated fear and accomplish what I am today, if Im afraid to stand up with 30 students in a classroom they will be shocked to think "this teacher is boring" there is how it starts. later on, they will take advantage of you. The best way is to beat fear at his own game and fight for a better learning enviorment and teach students to not fear and move on to a better world, and a better future
ReplyDeleteFear is a feeling that we as a teacher should take under control. Is a feeling that paralye us and affect the students. I think that their will be fear or nerve when we are giving class but we as a teacher be confident in our ability as a teacher. Fear not always is a bad thing like the author of the article explain is good in a way that through fear we realize that we care about the students learning process. We should not let the fear of failure to take over to us because one thing that God made was one day over another. If do one mistake in a class we can't stay there and paralyze ourselve. We as a teacher shoudl from our mistake and try to do better and be a great teacher.
ReplyDeleteTeaching is a frightening experience because we never know what we would encounter. We fear the students and they would react when we are giving class. There will be students who like the author said that will always be quiet, other that never pay attention or other who just don't care. Still we as a teacher should not let fear take over us, we just have to take it as a challenge as Juan saids and give the best of us. There is one mistake that we as a teacher should never do and is what the author explain about the students of hell. We should never focus on one students just because we wanted so badly to make them to learn. We should focus on them but without losing the focus on others, on other instead of just focusing on him we should try to motivate to get involve with the others students. We also have to understand their feeling and what they are going through.
Definitely fear is a feeling that can bring good and bad things it just depends on how you manage to control it.
This reading by Palmer has confirmed some reasons why I am afraid of teaching; basically it is a huge responsibility. Everything we do as educators affects our students’ learning process, how they assimilate the subjects that are being taught to them. If we are afraid they feed off of it but no in a way where they can use it against you, well maybe some do but those are the few. It is okay to be afraid, fear can take you out of your power coma, where you as teacher believe that you shouldn’t be challenged or questioned. That, students should just do what they are told without any real reason as to why, because we probably don’t know ourselves. Fear can have you reflect on your purpose or the reason as to why you chose this profession, was it for the benefits, the attention from your community (ego), or so that your students can truly learn and enjoy it. Palmer mentions all of these aspects to fear, but what I liked the most from this reading is his student from hell. When you think about it, he was his own student from hell, because this student did not do anything to provoke him or to challenge him as Palmer saw it. This student was afraid, but instead of seeing that his was a person like him, Palmer only saw a defiant student who made him fail as an expert in his field. Palmer was terrified of others finding out, since he was being applauded for his excellent knowledge in the field of pedagogy and here he was allowing a student to steer him off course and to abandon all of the other students, but maybe it wasn’t this student but instead his fears and his ego. Well that’s what I understood from the reading. Palmer was afraid of this student because he challenged him or his views of what a good teacher is and forced out of him (through his fear) to be a bad teacher. He was blessed to hear this student’s point of view and to realize that they were one in the same; at least that they were both fearful of each other.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, we have to have a balance, fear can be paralyzing but it can also be replenishing. It can replenish your philosophy on teaching, on your methods and on topics to give in class. One shouldn’t be afraid of being corrected, or given an advise to help out in the units teaching, and I know that is better said than done, but we are agents of change and as such, we need to begin with ourselves before we can change anyone else. How do we expect our students to really asks us questions, when deep down we are praying for them not to because we might have to say that we do not know the answer. Same with students, we need to keep in mind that they are afraid of being criticized by the teacher, their families, and peers. This has been an eye opening reading, now I have more to fear but now I know it is okay to do so and that fear is not who I am but just a part of my entire self. I will work to harness my fears and to take control of them so they can be a positive force in my teaching and my life. I know it will take a lot of practice but I’m up for the challenge even with week knees and sweat pouring down my neck, I want to inspire my students to not give into to fear, but I need to be their first of model of such a lesson.
Fear is a feeling that is normal at the beggining of the school semester and also if you are a new teacher. Is the fear of being critizied by your colleges and the fear of not being liked by your students, which I think is very normal. That is why we should beleive in ourselves and have a very high self esteem in order to control our fear, if not everyone will take advantage of you because of being fearful.
ReplyDeleteI also feel fear because is a change for me. I'm use to only give presentations in my classes in front of my classmates that I know since I got to this university; and now I have to prepare myself to stand in front of a classroom, in front of 30 students and give a class, is very scary. But I have fate in me and I will not let fear take over me.
"The student from hell", a very true subject, I dont remember a single class trhough out my school years that I havent witness a student from hell, there is always at least one. But as long you treat that student with respect and not stereotype him because of his appearence the class will go on the way that you planed. But there are also some cases in which there is no way in controling that student, so in that case I think it should be left to his parents and the director of the school, or some other person.
//I loved this chapter. Many of the fears I have as a future educator are provocatively and thoughtfully addressed. I especially agree with the view that compassion is an essential component of being an effective educator.
ReplyDelete//Basically my biggest fear is of not getting through to my future students. The fear of not being understood often sends me into panic-mode, nevertheless as the article states some fear is healthy. Fear often lends itself to through preparation, which in essence helps teacher's prepare their lessons well in advance. Yet paralyzing fear often impedes student and teacher performance. In order to deal with fear, we must perform a self analysis of what types of fears we are experiencing and attempt to determine which are rational and which are irrational because a thorough analysis of our fears can help us improve our teaching practice.
//Another interesting point the chapter makes is Erik Erikson's distinction between stagnation and generativity. In order to avoid stagnation and not become a dinosaur educator --outdated-- teacher's must be willing to adapt their teaching methods and practices to suit the needs and interests of their students. Innovation, creativity and overall subject knowledge must be updated periodically to meet not only the demands of the profession, but to fully be able to create positive change within the lives of our students. Generativity can be loosely defined as the state in which the educator is generating or impacting their students and classroom in a life-changing and positive manner. As we have learned from Professor Lopez change is central to professional development as it aids us in our pursuit of educational praxis.
//An upmost respect for one's profession and the compassion to truly respect our student’s educational and social interests will make us effective and reflective educators.
As future English teachers we must face our fears and in this case as the author mentions we have to face our students from Hell. It does not sound easy but we have to learn to be patient and most importantly not show the students that we are actually scared of them. I think that if the students knows that you are afraid of them they will make your class a living Hell. Students can smell fear and this is something that teachers have to always have in mind.If we do have any student from Hell in our classrooms we have to try to win them over. Because most of the students that are like this is for a reason. The best example of this bad behavior was the one that the author mentioned. That his student was acting this way because of his father that was a alcoholic and that he would always criticize him. The was a main reason the student was so bad in class. That is why the teacher should try to be friendly with the students and give them positive advice that might help them. It is not easy winning these students attention and respect but we have to learn how to do it and never give up especially of the students that need our help.
ReplyDeleteMost of the young adults studying to become educators wonder about how they will do inside a classroom. They wonder how their students will be and what effect they, as educators, will have on their students. When you are surrounded by teachers growing up, like I have, you are hearing two stories. We hear the fun and inspiring stories of the students and teachers or the horrible stories of the “students from hell.” Some of these stories are horrible and scandalous. They want to make me turn around and study something else.
ReplyDeleteI’ve found Palmer’s ideas and reflection refreshing and helpful. His experience and funny comments have inspired me to become a better teacher. I loved when he discovers the “the student from hell” is his driver. In their conversation he discovers he is not there to torture him but he is just frustrated and not motivated at all. The student’s home situation is complicated and very common in Puerto Rico or the world. Some parents believe it is a waste of time to study, that it is too hard, and they don’t support their child or children. This made me remember that in my classroom I WILL have diversity, students that have different complicated situations with their families, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends, between themselves and nowadays with their own child (or children). What worries me still is that I miss some of these signals and carry on with my class without noticing anything. I will have students hurting inside and it is hard to be a teacher and be there for your student in that moments. We must have a balanced teacher /student relationship. He says something I found very interesting; he says that if he wants to teach well he must see the fear that is in the student’s hearts. Nothing else would work with the student because what he was dealing with came from a deeper place, the student’s heart.
To see others and their fears we must accept our own fear. He says that when we understand our fear we can overcome the structures, the judgments, the excuses, the blaming and we can overcome the distance between me as a teacher and my students. I refuse to have students see me as an alien or a distant far away person. I am determined to love all my students no matter what. Love, the most important principle in teaching. If I don’t love what I do I will not be effective at what I do, if I don’t love my students what difference will it make their well-being and learning process. If we don’t love nothing is worth doing.
What impact me most about Palmer’s chapter was his discussion about ”stagnation” and “generativity”, according to Erikson’s theory of midlife choice in a teachers’ life. It captures my attention because it is the first time I heard about these concepts applied to teaching. It also impacts me, because it reminds me about teachers and professors who put labels on students, and do not give a chance to these students to growth from their weaknesses or disadvantages in the learning process. “Stagnation” is applied to cynicism, which I compare to the label that some teachers of school, and professors from universities put to some students that are struggling with their goals and their learning disadvantages. I have seen this in schools and in the universities I had work and studied. These labels are often equal to prejudice and discrimination, and sometimes I think, because those teachers and professors do not want to teach at all, they are just concerned with their images and monthly payment. What are you offering to education(students and society) if you only pay time and attention to gifted students, or students who pleased you? When you teach, are you making a difference? Is not change the essence of teaching? I have known excellent teachers and professors, which are my inspiration, but I have known also, teachers and professors that no matter what effort and dedication you pay to your work, for some unexplained reason you are always wrong, and don’t deserve attention. I hope that I will never become cynical, “stagnated”, or label instructor in my life. To deserve been called a teacher or professor we should choose “generativity”, which according to Palmer’s reading implies “creativity in the service of the young” (Palmers, p.49). The most important word in this quote is service.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of connectedness, fear, and the inner word to which Palmer refers, I would like to say that the only fear that a teacher must have is if he/she is not a real teacher or educator. I mean by real, all the concepts that involves being a truly teacher or educator, such as integrity, honesty, responsibility, and others. Students always perceive when you don’t care about education because students observe their teachers and made their own judgments. No matter how much you try to make an image, the real you will always come out. Therefore, I consider that connectedness, and the inner word is part of who you really are as a teacher, and as a human being. I have participated in many beautiful lectures and workshops about teaching, and I have learned that the easiest part is to talk beautifully, but the real part are your actions, an decisions as a teacher, which are the most difficult ones, because theory do not always fits reality. It takes courage to teach honestly and properly.
After reading Palmer’s description of his own fear, I do not feel alone. Fear is a powerful enemy that can truly distant us from our purpose as educators. It can disorientate us in a way that it can affect classroom proficiency. Like Palmer said, “students get lost in my lecture because I myself am lost”. That phrase caught my attention. I know what is like to feel completely disoriented in a classroom. To have my students look at me like I’m some sort of alien invader whenever I ask a question was horrifying. I was glad the day that I approach my students concerning their inability to speak when ask a question. One girl was brave enough to say, “You’re nervous and we’re even more nervous”. That instantly took every fear away from me. “My own fear is matched by the fear within my students” Palmers words resonated in me as I read them. I was so concentrated on my own fear that I had not acknowledged my students own fear. I had forgotten what was like to meet a teacher for the first time. To be looking at an unknown person standing in the front of the class as a figure of authority. I instantly took a step backwards and relaxed. “By understanding our fear, we could overcome the structures of disconnection with the power of self-knowledge”. Understanding my fear helped me connect with my students. “Some fears can help us survive, even learn and grow”. We must acknowledge that we are human bound to human feelings. Our students are not judges looking to tear us apart, but people with feelings and needs just like us. “If we could see that fact clearly and consistently…we would move toward better teaching”.
ReplyDelete“The Courage to Teach”
ReplyDeleteExploring the Inner Landscape of a Teachers Life
Parker J. Palmer
Reaction Paper on Chapter 2
It shocked me to read about how I’m feeling. It seems like this chapter was written for me to read. The way he describes a teachers fears is exactly the way that I feel. I feel afraid of teaching and not being any good at it. It never occurred to me that my students felt afraid too. That they were as much afraid of me as I was of them and that it was this fear of each other that sometimes makes things not run as smoothly in the classroom.
I really identified with Mr. Palmer when he wrote: “My students seemed enviously safe, hidden behind their notebooks, anonymous in the mists of the crowed”. This is exactly how I felt when I taught a sixth grade English class. I was so afraid of making mistakes and that my students would not learn what I was teaching them that the fear got in the way of teaching. I felt so vulnerable in the front of the class like all eyes were on me and there was no place to hide if I made a mistake. It never occurred to me that they would be as afraid of me as I was of them. They seemed fearless to me, that they were just waiting for me to make a mistake.
After reading that by understanding our fear we can become better teachers and that our fear of failure just means that we really care about our profession and our students. Also that having this fear it forces us to be better prepare and makes us better teachers. I felt so relived because those words made perfect sense to me. It is very true it is fear of failure and embarrassment that makes us prepare well for a class.
When we have to observe classes in schools as part of an ethnographic study for a course, we often see the students not paying attention talking or just spaced out. Then we hear the teacher complain about how bad her students are. But she never stops to think that it may be something that she’s doing wrong. In this chapter Mr. Palmer talks about how teachers want perfect students so they can look good and how they blame the students for their mistakes. The quote “Don’t send us sick patients send us healthy ones so we can look like good doctors” was a great way to sugar coat that teachers don’t know how to deal with today’s students so they complain about them instead.
I really enjoyed this chapter and it made me realize that fear may be a bad thing but it can also be a good thing. Without fear forcing us to prepare better for our classes we would probably slack off instead of preparing well so we don’t commit mistakes. It is the perfect balace of fear and confidence that makes a great teacher.
I enjoyed this chapter simply because it reflects the reality that we are all going to face as future teachers, and that many educators have been dealing with for a long time. The important point the author wants us to understand is that we have to realize that we will always have many fears within the classroom environment, the school, and more importantly our future students. In “The student from Hell” the author mentions that the most common and biggest obstacle that teachers have to confront is “the students”. As a former student, I have always heard those same complaints from teachers, and it’s time to realize that students our not an obstacle within teaching and that students may appear to be “brain dead” within the classroom, but it’s not because they have “little capacity, or dismiss the world of ideas”, it can be because of many other circumstances they maybe going through as the author mentions, for instance “the vanishing of family, the deficiencies of the public education, television, technology, drugs and alcohol, or even the type education and communication the teachers themselves have with these students. (“Criticizing the client is the conventional defense in any embattled profession, and these stereotypes conveniently relieve us of any responsibility for our student problems or their resolution” P.41) This is why it is our job to find that connection with our students, even though we all have fears, we have to connect with them at a higher level, get out of our shelves and have a real and effective communication with them. Communication is central key to have a connection with our students, if this can’t be achieved how are we going to connect with our students? (“When we distance ourselves from something, it becomes an object; when it becomes an object, it no longer has life; when it is lifeless’ it cannot touch or transform us, so our knowledge of the thing remains pure” P. 52) What came to mind when I read this, is that we can’t distance ourselves from our students, we have to get to know each one, and learn from them, show them what we have to offer and let them show us what they can offer us, otherwise how can we change our knowledge from them? There is no way we can do it, if we don’t establish that connection and that sense of trust with them. As for “Fear”, all of what I can say is that I have always had different fears in my life in many different aspects, and that I will always continue to have them every day, and I’m sure I will experience new fears when I’m in that classroom face to face with my students. By only thinking and imagining this moment it makes me feel more frightful because of the huge responsibilities, the many things that can happen or that will never happen, the mistakes I can make or the things I won’t be able to accomplish, but as the author says we have to learn to “be not afraid” meaning “not be fear”, just find a real place in my inner landscape that can help my teaching be meaningful for me and my future students, finding that place will help me go beyond my fears and improve day by day my teaching.
ReplyDeleteIn the reading, "The Courage to Teach", Palmer mentions many factors that we as future teachers will face ahead. First he talks about fear and how fear revolves around every aspect of the educational world. He mentions that fear limits teachers capacity to think straight, distortioning the way they teach and bring about a class. In my personal opinion, I am scared of every aspect in becoming a teacher. I'm scared of my students, what they will think of me, how they will do in my class, and so many other things I can't even explain. Palmer put me to ease, explaining that fear is a common factor and that everyone is scared. The part of the reading that really terrified me was the student from hell. I don't know what i would do if i had a student like that. Palmer explains how that students was his center of attention and evrything he did in that class was to get the attention of that particular student. When he wasn't able to do so, he felt he had failed. Luckily, he got a chance to get to know that student and found out that he was a normal student with problems. These are situations that we as future teachers will find on a daily basis. We need to learn how to deal with these situations so that it won't take all our focus and not lead us into frustration.
ReplyDeleteAs for the terms stagnation and generativity, we as future teachers should try to strive towards generativety. This will keep us creating new techniques and methods that help our students reach a high level of academic success. When we stagnate, we stay stuck in the same place, limiting our students to be the best they can be. In teaching, we should always challenge our sudents, helping them reach higher thinking levels. This will not only lead students into becoming critical thinkers, but they will become lifelong learners. If students see that their teacher leaves them on the same level, using the same routines daily and offering them "yellow paper", students will limit themeselves at giving school their all.
I have enjoyed your reflections and the insight you demonstrated. Keep on blogging!!
ReplyDeleteProf. Arlinda Lopez
UPRAg
In the "Courage to Teach", Palmer discusses that most teachers have fear in the beginning or even through out their careers. at the beginning of the teaching process is a completely normal, but we do have to overcome it. Fear is something natural, and happens to us all the time. But when it comes to the classroom and facing students one by one, we must learn to face our fears and battle each student and classroom. We must get comfortable with each student and group, even though they might be a "student from hell", it has to be dealt with. In order to release this fear, we must be patient, and it will quickly desolve, when we are used to it. Fear should not included on both sides, they must both get along, and go exist in the classroom environment.
ReplyDeleteThis piece of writing was of a lot of help for me. I had never thought about being afraid until I read it. As I was reading I began to analyze all the things I have been afraid of through life and how they have affected me during my adolescence. At the same time I remembered that each one of them had made me mature and know I do not fear them. I realized that they were meant to be there to help me become the person I am today. The same thing will happen to me when I go to teach for the first time. I will be scared to death and will confront new obstacles and problems. But, as the article said, I cannot be afraid. I have to put in my mind that teaching is a process and that teachers are there to teach but at the same time to learn. I will learn from my errors and from the good things I do.
ReplyDeleteI was also impacted by the part of the article that explained how the teacher confronted the student from hell and prejudices him because of how he acts. That gave me a flash back to my school years. I remember all those students that could be compared with the student from hell. Now I see that they were just kids who were in need of love or attention. Maybe they were having problems in their families or situations that were affecting their education. They did not know what to do with those problems and solved them by becoming the black sheep of the class, problematic student.
When I become a teacher I must keep in mind how will I as a teacher, help those students to overcome their problems and focus on their education. That they can see in me a person who also has a lot of problems and situations in life and that if I have found solution for them, they can too. I cannot be afraid during my teaching years and must always remember what is the best for my pupils and for those “students from hell”.