Resilience

I am feeling the need to be resilient these days. Merriam-Webster dictionary states resilience as:

a : capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture

b : tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

Child Development and the other classes at Lewis and Clark are preparing me to be a superb teacher. There are so many forces in education that are working against teachers; budget cuts, less resources, less support, more English language learners in the classroom, diverse cultures and increased number of students in the classroom, and we could go on. As a teacher, I will have to be resilient for my students. It is so important to have a voice against the status quo, in a positive way, for the benefit of all my students. A person need to be resilient against all odds, to engage students to learn through their adversity, heartbreak, diverse relationships and problems in their communities. Life is not always easy. In order to teach students who are facing adversity, I think it is important to buck the traditional teaching methods of rote learning and focus on the theorists methods of learning. Teaching students through what interests them and not following a book or a standardized test. Instead, teachers must reach all their students, gifted, at risk and everyone in between, dismissing rote learning which leaves many students behind.

The constructivist teaching methods dismiss teaching to the standardized test and memorization as the way to learn. What is important, is educating students to be critical thinkers, where they can make informed decisions and take into consideration both sides of the issue. Teaching is about empowering the student to think critically, voice their opinions, to fight against the inequities in the system and stand up for their community. Education is about hope, promise, community, pride, power, and heartache all put together to empower critical thinkers.

Resiliency is a necessity in life, in teaching, in learning and in never giving up when fighting for one’s life.