I think that these EdTalks were a great way for us, as pre-service teachers, to understand a variety of different students that could potentially be in our classes one day. It was done in a way that I felt was fun, by being able to read a young adult novel. It was also very effective, as all of us had to come up with ways in which us as teachers would think about what we would do in those situations.
What I learned
One thing I learned from the EdTalk project was that all of these conflicts that were happening in the young adult novels, also happen in real life. As a teacher, we aren’t just there to give out information or teach. We are also there to be a helping hand for our students and look out for them. I also learned that, although we are there to help our students in times of need, there are just some things, that as a teacher, we are not equipped to do. For example, if a student is not being able to listen or focus due to something that is effecting them that happened in their lives outside of school, there is only so much as a teacher we can do before we have to send them to someone that will help more. Another thing I learned from this project is that sometimes, it can be very hard to know what a student is going through. Some students show their emotions differently than others. I think as teachers we need to be able to read the room, get to know our students, and be able to detect when something is off.
Applying skills and knowledge to my own teaching
One skill that I would apply to my own teaching is to be able to get to know each one of my students personally. So then I am able to know when a student is not themselves and can then take the next steps to help them. I think that being able to know your students and have relationships with them where you are able to know who they are, how they act, what they are interested in, etc., it will help then in times when they are not themselves. Another skill that I would apply to my own teaching is the knowledge that everyone is different; not one student is like the other. This means that as a teacher, you are going to have to have the skills to meet each student where they are. Whether that means academically or in a different way, you need to understand that each student is at different levels. This can be challenging at times to understand where each student is and then having to match that with every student. But I think it all goes back to just getting to know each of your students, and being willing to put in the effort to meet them where they are.
I agree. Put another way, teaching is relational. It is about how we form, maintain, and nurture relationships. VP is a great place to start the practice this approach to education.