As a teacher I see myself serving as a lifejacket…
When you board a boat it is often required that passengers wear lifejackets. Many individuals will not rely of them because of their strong swimming skills. On the other hand, others may find reassurance in this extra form of support as a fallback. When students enter my classroom I see myself acting as a lifejacket…a source of protection, comfort, and guidance to help my students stay afloat during their education careers.
Just as people board a boat with different swimming skills, a classroom is composed of a large range of educational levels. Some students will receive a task and conquer it without a problem; not relying on the support of their teacher or their “lifejacket.” Even if the “lifejacket” is not put to use it remains present in case of an emergency or for the mere purpose of comfort. Other students in the class may grab onto the “lifejacket” and hold onto it for dear life because they are not confident enough to venture into the waters on their own. As a result, they are able to complete the task only with constant reinforcement from the teacher.
Even with a lifejacket present, success or survival is not guaranteed. A lifejacket is not always enough to save an individual’s life when they are in waters. I will do my best to keep my students afloat through specific teaching strategies and techniques. However, their effort and determination is also necessary when developing and building key concepts throughout their education. The success of my students is not solely my responsibility, but also up to the individual.
I like the metaphor of a teacher as a lifejacket because I feel it supports the learning needs of a wide range of students. When a teacher serves as a lifejacket students are given control and the opportunity for self-discovery in their education. However, when support is necessary it is provided and students are not given the opportunity to sink or become lost in the concepts and ideas.
3 comments:
I think this is a really good metaphor and really follows through on a lot of things. It is similar to how I see myself as a teacher too, and makes me think about the common qualities in all of our metaphors.
Molly -
I think the connections you made between a lifejacket and being a teacher were great! I especially liked how you compared people with different swimming skills to a classroom composed of a large range of educational levels. Educational level, along with cultural background and previous experiences are such important things for teachers to take into consideration. Great Job! :-)
Molly-
I really like the idea of "teacher as lifejacket." The notion that, as teachers, we are one source of protection, support for our students is important to remember. And certainly, some students may need to rely on us as teachers more than others. I do appreciate that students need to take some individual responsibility for their learning and skill-development, and I encourage you to think about how you, as a teacher, will provide support to those students who are not reliant on you but could still benefit from your guidance and encouragement.
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