Life's Beyond Thy Dreams

In the previous post, I promised I will be telling the story of how I became a teacher. 

My story was included in the philosophical statements of my two portfolios (the two parts of my senior project, on which I worked for eight whole months! :) ) 

To make things clear: below is the philosophical statement of the second part, which in turn includes the first one.. 

     "It is amazing how much we change in four months! If we look back at who we were before four months, we would be astonished by the changes our personalities and mentalities have undergone. Our view of life changes and our dreams expand despite the fact that we become more mature and aware of obstacles. In short, our dreams grow with us, mature and become more realistic…. in only four months!

     Four months ago, I was asked to write “what I think teaching is all about” and here’s what I wrote…

“ “No dreamer is ever too small; no dream is ever too big.” – Anonymous

     It would be a lie to say that I dreamt of becoming a teacher from very young age. Actually, I dreamt of becoming anything BUT a teacher! My story started when I was twelve years old. It was at that time I first heard of Genetic Engineering. It was love at first article! The more I read about it, the more I became certain that I have found my dream job. At high school I chose the scientific section and was extremely proud of myself!  Many made fun of my dream and described it as “too big”. At home, I was told that I had to have a plan B; some dreams are too big to come true! But I didn’t want a plan B! What plan B? Anything related to teaching? No thank you, that’s not even a plan Z for me! I knew my goal, and nothing would stop me from reaching high for it. I even took the SAT exam to join a university in Beirut, and my score was pretty high! I was coming closer and closer to achieving what I was dreaming of.

But then…

Something unexpected happened! I still don’t know how and why I went to LIU that day. Although I was familiar with TESL from my eldest sister, Hanaa, I’ve never thought of choosing TESL as my major. And yet, that’s what happened! I chose TESL as my major, teaching as my future career.

And it was NOT love at the first session! It actually took me a whole semester to change my mind, my view of life. In other words, it took me a whole semester to transform! Teaching became not my plan B, but my whole life and future! At that moment, I realized that I didn’t choose to become a teacher; I was destined to become one!

In fact, I didn’t become “just” a teacher, I became….

A counselor,

A teacher is someone who students can refer to for help of any kind, a good listener and adviser; that’s what a good teacher is. Teaching is not about merely explaining grammatical and linguistic structures. It’s about being there for your students. You need to know everything about them. You need to find out their gifts as early as possible. Remember that every child is gifted, children just unwrap their gifts at different times. A teacher has to make sure not a single detail about her students and their life escapes her, to be sure that she is really there for them. The smallest cues students send tell you a lot about them and their needs. Your advice doesn’t need to be words you whisper to your kids’ ears. They are small whispers you quietly whisper to their souls. They are your looks, your gestures, your smiles. They may even be your “harsh words”, for they may be what your students need at the moment.

A leader,

You don’t only see the way, you go it and you show  it. You are their leader; the one who has to show them how and why they have to live. You enlighten them to the challenges they may face during their life. You show them how to overcome defeat and how to resist blows. Show them the way, but don’t take the steps for them. Be there as a leader, not a replacement! They need to try to learn, they need to fail to learn. They need to learn how to deal with both, success and failure. They are part of the real world. Actually, they are the future. If we lead them to find their personal treasures through the good and the bad, we are sure the future is in safe hands.

A role model,

A teacher models to her students not only her techniques and activities, but also how to live. In her minutest gestures, she is reflecting life and its various experiences to her students. Through her explanation, she is modeling how to think and how to analyze whatever faces them in this wide world. Through her classroom management, she is teaching her kids how to manage themselves and their time. A teacher’s academic role is never separated from the role she has to play in her students’ lives.

A friend,

In this changing world, we have a challenging reality to face. Teachers are no longer the all-knowing teachers. Their knowledge may at many occasions be comparable with their students’. Teaching is becoming more and more challenging. We have to keep in mind the role of technological advancement and media in changing our students’ mentality and shaping their characters. We don’t have to stop this gigantic flow, because we can’t. We have to challenge only what is manageable, and that’s another thing we have to teach our students. A good teacher has to go with the flow, making her students feel as if she is one of them, but, at the same time, maintain her role as a controller who knows her students’ best.

A mother,

Like a mother, a teacher passes through many stages of development of both, style and character. She, like any mother, is dealing with the hardest thing to deal with: the human soul. She, like any mother, is responsible for creating characters which will make her proud. A teacher is the figure to which all students look to for guidance. She is, like any mother, a support, a good listener, and a trustworthy source of comfort!

A life-long learner,

“The more you learn, the more you find out how much you don’t know!”

                                                               Dr. Wassim Abou-Yassin

“Teaching and learning are two inseparable processes”.

                                Me  J

A teacher never stops learning. Every session will open her eyes to new things. She has to accept the fact that she doesn’t know everything she needs to know. Even the greatest educators are learners; they learn from their students’ behavior and words. Whenever you think you don’t have anything more to learn, you’ll die. So keep learning, because life never stops teaching!

A genetic engineer!!

Yes, my first dream is coming true, and the result is greater than anyone expected! I AM a genetic engineer who is breeding the future, modifying its genes. My class is my laboratory. My kids are my chromosomes, and their future is my DNA. Through my innovative teaching, I’ll be serving humanity! I’ll pave the way for generations to be the change we want to see in this world.

And here’s what I learned,

You can NEVER dream too big…”

Four months later, I was also asked to write what I think teaching is all about, and that’s when I realized how much more realistic my dreams and I have become…

Yes, you can NEVER dream too big, but making your big dream a reality takes too much effort and perseverance. You’ll need to expect the unexpected and deal with it. You’ll need to tailor this dream to real life!

My dream has come true, but the effort needed to keep this dream a reality is greater than expected!

     If you choose to be a teacher, here’s what you have chosen to become:

A better listener,

Listen, listen, listen. Your students will always tell you what they need. You’ll find it in their looks, their words, and in their misbehavior. Whenever they seem to be unwilling to obey what you asked them to do, they are sending you messages. Whether they are not comfortable in class, facing troubles at home, or even having troubles with the way you teach, they are always expressing it, you only have to listen and care!

Friendly,

    You’ll find difficulty stopping the urge to act like a friend with your students! But keep in mind that you need to be friendly more than you need to be a friend. There are limits you need to set and stay within.  Remember that they’ll remember you as the shoulder they can lean on, the person whom they ask for help.

Flexible,

      No matter how much your plan seems to be perfect and well-planned, you need to adjust your plan to whatever happens in the class. You may be given an extra session; you’ll need to take longer time working on a task to fill both sessions. You may face an unexpected problem in class and you need to cross out a part of the plan or stop students from misbehaving if an accident happens. If students act spontaneously and their actions don’t hinder the progress of the lesson, you need not stop them. It’s all about them and how they like to learn.

     Flexibility is an extremely important characteristic of a teacher who is successful in class as well as in the teachers’ society. You need to be open to new ideas and suggestions. Accept criticism, especially from experienced teachers, even if you feel it’s unfair. You’ve done your best, but there might be a “better”!

Real,

     Be real, whether in your personality or in your teaching. Make them feel that your class is part of the real world. A good teacher is someone who makes learning an interesting journey in terms of connecting what students encounter in class to what they see in real life. Whenever you feel like stopping the lesson and refer to a historical event or a current issue discussed in the news, go for it! Your pupils need this the most! They may not remember the concepts you taught them, but they’ll undoubtedly remember their childhood and their lives. So keep their lives present in your class and connected to it, and they’ll remember it as well!

This applies to the personal level as well! No matter how hard you try to “fake” any action or any word you say, even when you’re exhausted and you’re trying to act like you’re full of energy, you can never fool those little eyes. Your students are able to see through you. They’ll understand your minutest gestures and looks. So be yourself, they’ll love you the way you are! J

Patient,

     Patience, patience, patience! Change needs time. If you’re willing to raise a generation which leads the change in his society, and if not in society, in himself, you need to be extremely patient. Some days you’ll come back home exhausted and regret your choice, wishing you chose a career where you sit in an office all day long. There will be ups and downs, but through patience and determination, hardships will diminish and your successes will scream louder with every smile you use to defy what you think is an “unfair” reality.

Well-organized and well-prepared,

     These traits go hand-in-hand and are extremely important to any teacher, especially language teachers. As language teaching includes teaching several skills, organization is a key factor in the success of any teacher. A good teacher is organized in terms of material and time, and well-prepared in terms of the subject matter he/she is teaching. In other words, the teacher has to be knowledgeable about the subject itself. This demands searching for further information and examples on whatever concept. Students ARE going to surprise you with their questions. And if you’re not as well prepared as you need to be, you’re going to face some problems!

Passionate,  

     Your energy is contagious! Loving what you do makes whatever you do a success. When you like what you’re doing, students will undoubtedly feel positive about what they’re learning! Your passion is badly needed for the creation of a positive environment in your classroom. A positive environment is the most important factor in the flourishing and thriving of your students.

      You’re a teacher, an opportunity-maker, a life-long guide! You’re shaping the world and how it will look in several years! It is a great responsibility, but as long as you are willing to accept your mistakes, to learn from them, and to enjoy your daily tiny successes, you’ll be able to achieve the ultimate goal of existence: Improving the universe!! " 

Good job! You've just finished reading a pretty long post! :D