What Subject Are You Best Suited To Teach?

[Jocelyn Bonadio]

I am interested in your opinion regarding the following (my apologies in advance for a slightly longwinded explanation): having decided to become a teacher, but without ties to a specific subject, how does one determine what subject they are best suited to teach? A subject for which you have natural affinity and talent? Or does a personal struggle in mastering a subject inherently make you better suited to teach it to others who are likely going through the same thing? In other words: if Spanish comes easily to me, am I going to be able to help someone who has no affinity for it whatsoever? If I struggled with science and in the process developed various strategies for understanding its concepts, won't I be more prepared and capable at helping others understand it?

I think I want to participate in a teaching program similar to the Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship or the Teacher Service Scholarships outlined in Barack Obama's campaign plan for education. These programs help finance a masters degree in "hard-to-fill disciplines," which they define as math, science, ESL, and special education, in exchange for an agreement to teach for 2-4 years in an underserved school. My background is in music; without an established affinity for one of the above-mentioned subjects, do the educators in this community have any suggestions as to how I might deduce the subject I am best suited to teach? Is it a bad idea to agree to teach a subject just because it is in need?


Advice, comments, suggestions or ideas would be welcome and appreciated.

[Connie Weber]

Jocelyn first posted this as a blog, and I asked her if she'd move it into a forum. To see the comments by Ian, Skip, and David, click here.
I also posted an introduction of Jocelyn to the community there.

Jocelyn, you are asking such a good question. We're hearing a variety of responses: love for your subject, a "follow your bliss" orientation, also the importance of having confidence, learning to enjoy whatever you're doing... seems like you'll get as many ideas as there are people here.

(Sorry gang, this experiment in shifting from a blog to a forum probably has some people squirming, as information could get tangled or lost... Nevertheless, and not minding Ed Hitchcock's probable scolding at interwoven threads, let's try it... Or people could repost their comments that are on Jocelyn's blog here and we'll be all straightened out...)

I can see both sides of this one. I probably teach things well that I know well, like evolution, nature study, immigration in American history. But then there's another side, the side of having gone through a big struggle to get somewhere, such as me in grad school stat class. I remember the professor coming to me to ask me to be her fellow, saying that she's most like to have an assistant teacher who did what I did, coming into playing shortstop when I started far out in left field (or not even ON the ballfield). She said my experience of having broken through some wall in learning would be more valuable to assisting others than just having arrived on the spot with everything all ready-to-go and advanced. She wanted me to convey to students that "It can be done... If I can do it, so can you."

Jocelyn, you'll be good at whatever you teach, whether it's a subject that comes naturally to you, or one you struggled through, carving your own pathway through the learning the subject. I do think a key is that whatever you teach, you focus on the process of learning itself. You know, all those metacognitive skills about learning how to learn? Oh, and making the learning fun, zany, and playful with creative projects. They nurture openness and the ability to laugh at ourselves, which leads into joy in learning and therefore increased motivation and more openness. And whatever you teach, bring music into the classroom.

Please let us know more about the two scholarships you mentioned.

I hope plenty of people join in here... And let me be one of the first to say, WELCOME TO THE PROFESSION. SO GLAD YOU'RE DOING THIS!!!

[Mike]

Hi Jocelyn...
welcome to the world of teaching and activity that is perfect for learning because it seems to me one that really is never totally mastered :)

You have asked an interesting question and the responces have been great to read.

As i considered your question what came to mind was that it took me a fairly long time to recognize my own learning style which was in the begining unconcious. As a techer it was my experience that i first started teaching the way "I" learned best....

The shift happened for me when i began to understand that not everyone learns in the same manner that i do... as a matter of fact many do not... there are a wide range of learning styles and it was fun for me to learn my own as well as others.
I then attempted to sturcture what ever i was teaching toward those styles.

The other thing i think i have come to know is that human beings are meaning makers. If you can get to know your kids well enough you can.... begin to help tailor what ever subject you choose to their personal stories.

Sure hope you post your path a bit and allow us to follow your journey a lttle bit with you....

good luck and be well.......

[Katrin Oddleifson Robertson]

Hi Joycelyn,

If I might come at this question from another angle and ask you a question - WHO do you want to teach? I would start there. Do you have a particular inner pull to be in a particular place or with a particular set or kind of student? I always find that when I start with the student, the who, the what follows rather naturally.

Katie Robertson

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Jocelyn, my take on this very interesting question is that in some ways it is better to be teaching a subject that is new to you so that your own learning journey is still very fresh in your mind, and you can be learning together WITH your students, instead of teaching them across a huge expanse of experience and education that separates you from them. In my own case, entirely by accident I ended up teaching something I never planned to teach (I now teach writing) when I was unable to continue in the teaching career I had planned (I started out as a teacher of Latin). Although you can never know how things would have turned out "otherwise," I tend to think I am probably a better teacher of writing because, like my students, I have my own gaps and questions and worries about writing, and I'm still full of newbie energy, learning new things about writing (especially online writing tools), and excitedly sharing those new things with my students. They don't see me so much of as an expert, but instead as an experimenter, trying out new things together with them.

Are you one of those music people who might turn out to have a deep affinity for math? That would be so cool, if you could find a way to use your love of music (a love so many of your students will share) in order to find their way into the world of math, together with you. Just a thought... Probably I am just thinking out loud about the fact that if I were to go back and do it all over again, I think I'd like to be a math teacher myself after all! :-)

[Connie Weber]

Laura,

What a great response! I love learning WITH my students, and think that in that learning-together mode, sometimes we reach the highest heights.

With regard to technology, I'm always learning WITH my students. It's daily discovery, sharing, shifting who's the leader, who's the learner.

Another thing, on the emotional side: I notice that students and I bond deeply when I reveal what may appear to be my vulnerable side, when I show that I'm comfortable with the state of being less-learned and convey an eagerness to learn. Kids love to teach me sports, games, technologies, crafts, dance moves, martial arts, music. When they get to be the teacher, they soften, open-up, show a more rounded perspective of me and then... become less afraid to reveal their own vulnerabilities. We get closer. So maybe what you and I are doing is making a case that it's sometimes more about being a model as a learner than as a teacher, no matter where one is with ability or knowledge. Heck, there's always more knowledge to get, anyway. We might as well "all be in this together."

(An aside: modeling as a learner is MUCH more complex than people often think it is. Sharing the process aloud, the feelings, the thoughts, the struggles, the "aha's"; that is the stuff of profound learning.)

[Nancy Bosch]

I agree with Katrin, you might what to think about who you want to teach. Sitting in on classes at your locals schools might help you decide. Here's something you may not have thought of---I have the best teaching job in the world---I teach elementary students who are identifed as gifted. Here are the best things about my job---we write all our own curriculum, have same kids every year, kids are able to work long periods of time on projects, no high stakes testing, no concerns about NCLB, no grading, few discipline problems, hard working students, supportive parents. Only bad thing--paperwork. Small price to pay for a wonderful job--I've done it for 25 years and there has rarely been a day I don't want to go to work. Something to think about! N.

[Jocelyn Bonadio]

Thanks for the great responses! I imagined this question wouldn't have a straightforward answer.

I've been researching different programs for getting into teaching, some in the form of graduate school, some not, and what amazes me is the range of preparedness you can engage in before entering the classroom. Check out the curriculum at the University of Chicago Urban Teacher Education Program, where upon completion you receive a Masters in Teaching Arts:
http://utep.uchicago.edu/academic/year1.shtml
versus the five-week training program required for Teach for America:
http://www.teachforamerica.org/admissions/how_to_apply/institute_sc...
At the New York City Department of Education website, the maze of requirements is a bit overwhelming; it is hard to get a sense of how long it would take to get certified through the state.

A relative of mine is teaching math in New Orleans, independent of any program and without training, but with a BA in Math. Many friends from school are currently enrolled and teaching through Teach for America. Visiting some classrooms seems like the next step here.

Thanks again for your responses about subject matter in the classroom. I'd like to widen the dialogue to include the benefits/drawbacks of teaching certain age ranges. As someone in their early twenties, I feel most scared (unprepared, incapable/in need of the most training/school) at the prospect of teaching high school students. Again the concern here is a mastery of the subjects you are teaching.

[Katrin Oddleifson Robertson]

I work with students who are becoming teachers (I am a field instructor, amongst other things, at the University of Michigan). I understand your hesitation about teaching high school re:content knowledge. The fact of the matter is that no matter how much you "know" about a subject, you are going to be learning it as you go. I tell my new teachers that if they are at least a week ahead of their students regarding the content they are teaching, that will be okay for a while. As you teach more you will learn more regarding what you are teaching.

When it comes to teaching high school versus middle or elementary school, I would base my decision on where you feel most comfortable in terms of:

1. a particular developmental level of children and your interest in that age (as the range is huge and the differences in developmental needs vast)

2. the structure of the school day you will be teaching in. Do you relish the idea of having a whole day with the same students or would you prefer to teach the same class/content over again several times a day? Do you want to be dealing with all subjects in a broad manner or one subject in a deeper way?

I would consider spending time in actual classrooms and trying some teaching at the level you are thinking you might want to teach. If you have the time, substitute teaching (while very hard as a long-term gig) is a really good way to get to know various subjects and ages and teaching situations. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you have spent time in a classroom(s) before you begin a lenghthy program at a univeristy. I have seen way too often when an individual really likes the ed classes and spends time getting certified, only to find that they really don't care for the day to day life of a teacher. Best to know that ahead of time.

[Connie Weber]

Hi Jocelyn,

I would check out that U Chicago program thoroughly and maybe just sign up right now. I do agree with others that observing classes would be good, but I think if you get into a good university program you can still decide where you're going to end up, and you'll have more perspective on the decision as you study more.

To me, the match of you and teaching is perfect. You'll be fascinated every day; you'll be challenged. You'll be able to use "the all of you" to make important differences in the world, both day to day and in the big picture.

Are you focused on urban education in particular?

Have you looked at Colombia? Harvard? Stanford? Those all have superb programs in education at the grad level. I hope you have interwoven into your studies a strong emphasis on neuro-psychology, cognition, brain, the "sociology of education," that sort of thing. I hope you study with professors who are vibrant, caring, courageous, questioning, supportive of creativity, fascinated by human development, learning, and growth. I'll be glad to look over any programs you're considering; we can "shop" together. You deserve the best. I want the red carpet rolled out for you as you enter the field.

By the way, when you find others along the way who hold in their hearts that deep caring for people, for learning, for making the world a better place, bring them here to Fireside. We'll all be able to think things through together.

[Jocelyn Bonadio]

Katrin, Connie, and all,

I really appreciate your insight, support and kind words. (Connie, I am overjoyed at the idea of being back in a place that could resemble your class!)

My next step: finding some way to get into a classroom and observe, possibly substitute teach, and generally work toward teaching full-time myself by the Fall of 2009. I am reaching out to the East Harlem School (http://www.eastharlemschool.org) which has an 11-month-long academic year and an 8 am-5 pm school day, as a first step, thanks to a contact there; again my difficulty in gaining experience will be the conflict of my full time job, but I am hopeful I can negotiate some meaningful time there and begin to narrow down the age range and school day structure I am most excited about. I think urban education is fascinating, especially when I read articles like this one I posted a link to below from the New York Times Region section. It features the rising test scores of third and fourth graders at the Newton Street School in Newark, NJ. The Math teacher featured is a 23-year-old, like myself, and cites the benefit of a community of experienced adults helping him day-to-day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20Rscho...

Sound familiar?

Thanks again,

Jocelyn

[Connie Weber]

Hi Jocelyn,

No, Fireside is not like class, but I'm glad you remember class fondly. Fireside is more "intelligence in the wild," less predictable, more connected-up in unknown and shifting ways, more global, more diverse in perspectives. But it is a "cousin of class" in that open conversation is the basis for connection. Here, I'm not in charge. Well, sort of, but not really. In charge along with others who rise to the surface and monitor things, watch over how participation goes, add input that shapes where we are going, down the many trailways. Even more so than in class, on Fireside leadership shifts, the constellation of participants shifts. But as in class, "content" is a fluid, dynamic sort of thing, revolving around a core purpose of making all of us better learners.

Ok, back to other things you talked about--wow--your sense of purpose and direction is amazing. You know who it reminds me of? Your mom, and her mom, the work in the orphanage in (am I right?) Cuba. Go for it! How wonderful... the adventure begins!

The NYTimes article emphasizes test scores too much for my liking. I don't think you'll find the most substantial reforms centering themselves around test scores. But what may have in fact occurred is that the reforms that got put in place simply and naturally changed the scores for the better. My hope would be that scores are a reflection of true learning occurring in the educational "climate."

From that article, what I see as substantial moves in the positive direction:

connection with Seton Hall

the unions becoming more flexible and involved to improve the quality of education,

faculty members getting laptops,

mentoring of new teachers,

collegiality for all teachers with more purposeful professional development, emphasis on literacy skills for all students,

creativity such as poetry for the very young, personalized attention ("showered upon the students" )

teachers getting to know students well over time,

parents having meaningful ways to be involved,

lively summer programs,

and having all members of the learning community feel "ownership."


Can't wait for people to get in there and have those kids work on personal/local documentaries and biographies, use web2.0 with multimedia productions, emphasize teamwork, create strong networks for community feedback. The power of learning will grow exponentially. Maybe you'll get into that? Think of the students making musical soundtracks and narration for what they're learning in life, using photography and videos, and writing about their work... (Here's a good example: Marco Torres' student film site)

On another note, I have been thinking about what I think is the most important thing to teach a student in school: to be her own advocate. There's so much to talk about.

So glad you're here, Jocelyn! (And Laura W-T too--in the pic! Get her on... :-)

[Connie Weber]

Hi Jocelyn and everyone,
Just wanted to re-activate this discussion.
There are so many things I like about it--positive networking, indeed. I'll be eager to use this forum in class as an example.
Do others have something to add in here? Let's see where this can go.

Questions from the discussion:

How do you choose what to teach?

What should you look for in a teacher education program?

Should a person set about investigating a variety of educational settings before they enter the profession? Should they investigate a variety of settings while they're in their teacher-education programs?

What kind of support can we give to incoming teachers? How can we recruit teachers of the caliber of Jocelyn, and then nurture them along?

Newly-developing teachers, what kind of support would you like? What are the questions you have about the profession?