Image of the Teacher: When You Love Deeply

When you love something deeply, you study it closely.  You know what it does and how it works.  The things you care about most, you pay attention to.  You study the details of it.

                                                                                                --Chris Lehman

For the past few weeks, this blog has focused on “The Image of Child.”  We will likely return to this topic in the coming weeks and months, because as Jan says, “Our beliefs about children determine what we do.”

This week’s blog, however, asks a slightly different question: What is your image of the teacher?  

Fatima Rich is one of our Teacher Development Specialists.  Below, she gives one answer to that intriguing question and writes about what energizes her when she is watching teachers at work in the classroom.

Fatima makes the argument that teachers who love their work, study the details of their profession, and reflect on what helps students learn.  As you read Fatima's words, please consider what it is that you love about teaching and learning--and consider sharing your thoughts.

Phil

From Fatima: When You Love Deeply....

I want to start with a story about my child, partly because I’m a proud mother and partly because I want to make a point about great teaching in Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  First the story about Layla, our three-year-old.

Silly Me

Last weekend I attempted a visit to the library and it was closed. I told Layla that we would come back after I picked her up Monday. When I arrived to get the girls the next evening, Layla said, "Mommy, we get to go to the library now!"

Surprised that she remembered, I looked at the clock and sighed.  It was dinner time, and I was exhausted. Then, I looked at her face, and knew I needed to head to the library. Otherwise I was going to have one disappointed little reader. She loves books. I love that she loves books, so off to the library we went. She pulled her M&M bag behind her, anxious to pick out new books to take home and read to her little sister.

Later that night, when I came upstairs to read books and say goodnight, I found her reading a library book upside down. Immediately, I questioned why she was reading the book that way. She smiled at me and replied, "So Clifford can see the words and the pictures, silly!"

Clifford gets a bedtime story from Layla.  Who is to say
which way is "right" when reading to someone you love? 

That's right, my little reader, read on and keep doing what you love. Silly me.

The Love of Learning

A Teacher Development Specialist is an unusual job, so I’m often asked questions such as, “What do you do?” and “Do you like your job?” 

I respond by saying, "I have the best job in the world.  I enter as many classrooms as I can, looking for intentional teachers and captivated students."

The next question is often, “What are you looking for when you come into a classroom?”

I’ve thought a lot about this answer, and after careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that I am most excited by entering classrooms which I do not want to leave.  I try to find every reason to stay. 

In these classrooms…

• Teachers and students are passionate and experiencing learning together.
• Teachers and students are listening, discussing, and asking questions.
• Teachers and students are taking information and linking it to new learning

I want to stay in those rooms because teachers and students are smiling, engaged, having fun, and most of all exploring and being curious about this awesome world we are fortunate enough to live in. These classrooms are not about textbooks.  They are not about programs, and they are not about whole group instruction versus small groups or stations. They are all about the love of learning.

I was recently inspired by listening to Chris Lehman, a literacy expert.  He said something like this:

When you love something deeply, you study it closely.  You know what it does and how it works.  The things you care about most, you pay attention to.  You study the details of it.

When I go into classrooms, I look for teachers who love what they do, care deeply, and pay attention to the details of teaching and learning.  These teachers enjoy walking into their classrooms each day because it's another day to learn something new themselves and something new about their students.

I look for teachers who love enhancing their practice with new knowledge gained from collaborating with their peers, who allow students opportunities to take different roads to one destination, who use technology as a tool, who incorporate arts and movement and rhythm, who have students investigate with touch, or who plan without knowing exactly where the students will take them.

I look for teachers who want to grow and stretch their minds and deepen their understanding. I look for teachers who study their own craft and make subtle shifts to enhance what is already being done well.

There is no question that our work is hard, but it is also important work.  So I look for teachers who have fallen in love with their work, who can’t get enough, and want to continue to get better and better.  In short, I look for teachers who, like Chris Lehman says, are deeply in love with learning as much as Layla is in love with reading.

Happily, it’s being done in Hamilton Southeastern.  In my job, I see it every single day. Some might call it PBL, Reggio, or Inquiry.  Sometimes it goes by the name of Workshop or Best-Practice or HSE²¹.

As for me, I call it Love.

Respond to Fatima at frich@hse.k12.in.us

Enjoy your Fall Break, and have a great week, HSE!

HSE Teaching and Learning Team

• Jan Combs, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
• Stephanie Loane, Director of Elementary Education
• Tom Bell, Director of Special Education
• Jeff Harrison, Director of Educational Technology
• Phil Lederach, Director of Secondary Education