Advice To My Teacher by Brooksie

Advice To My Teacher by Brooksie - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

As I pass through the doors of high school graduation and I look back at all the teachers that nurtured and provided instruction, there is one piece of advice I would like to leave to them. From the first day of school to the last day of school, change is a constant. The tools of the trade have changed as well as the method used to impart knowledge. Change is not easy. The older one becomes the harder it is to adjust to those changes. Staying the same is easier than making the changes for the greater good. It would be my advice for all teachers to embrace change and continue to care for the students you have chosen to serve. Education is an ongoing process. As a person learns more one realizes that there is so much more to learn. Learning in itself creates change.

The best teachers I have embrace change and are not intimidated by students that know more about something than they do nor are they afraid of using the advances in technology to aid in their teaching. A good teacher can use a student’s knowledge to enhance learning and challenge them by using that knowledge to enhance learning. They can use technology to their advantage. The world is at one’s fingertips today and there are so many ways to access information that can enhance the teaching process. If one does not know how to do something, there are videos on line that help explain it, portals of the world to explore.

One method of teaching does not reach all students. A good teacher has to change the approach to reach different types of intelligences. It is all about change. It is not easy and some teachers burn out because they use the same approach and the same methods to teach a topic. It just does not work. It will not reach every student. How many students have to ask for extra help? Good teachers will provide whatever help a student needs, but it also demonstrates that one approach does not meet every student.

When one looks at their life, change is evident at every stage. As much as one would like to go back to a more comfortable stage, one can’t return to the past. It would be easier to stay in the comfort zone, but one does not grow in a stagnant environment. That is another reason change should be embraced. When change comes it is uncomfortable at first, but the more one learns the more comfortable one becomes. Why do little kids take to the games on cell phones or tablets? Ever see a toddler grab their parent’s cell phone to play a game? They are not scared of it, they are eager to figure it out and play with it. One cannot lose that curiosity and pleasure of figuring something out. You cannot be afraid of change. Ride the wave of change and enjoy keeping your balance in these changing times. Don’t let change intimidate you. Stay open and don’t become closed minded to new ideas. You are the guide to exploring new ways to learn and what you teach your student will stay with them. If you embrace change, students will too.