Who Among Us Are Teachers?

[Morpheus]

Just a thread to see how many teachers visit ENWorld. Please give your grade level, subject, years of experience and any thoughts you have about teaching you might want to share. I'll start:

7th grade
math
10 years
Some years are more difficult than others. This was one of those years... :\ (On a positive note-only 7 more days left! )

 

[pious.nerd]

Well, a bit off from the question but here it goes.


I am currently in college, working on my degree in English Lit for Secondary Ed. with a minor in Latin for Secondary Ed.

I have been in school for quite some time and have jumped around from 4 majors and 3 minors but I am doing what I want to do.

Grade-Seniors preferably (the older the better, more college prep emphasis)

 

[twofalls]

I'm 36, and I have a 1st grader and a 8th grader whom I teach every day. The most important teacher is the people who raise our kids, us, and I wish more folks would get involved with their kids and their education. Having said that however, I very much appreciate the dedication that I've encountered in the teachers that my kids have had in their public schools. So far I've found common ground with nearly every teacher my children have had, and I respect the huge ammount of work you do for our kids. Kudos.

 

[Lalato]

Does Corporate Training count? If so, I teach the unwashed masses about technology and new work processes at a national newspaper.

--sam

 

[shilsen]

I'm working on my Ph.D. in English literature and have taught for the last four years, as well as two more before that while working on my MA. Four of the six years were spent teaching freshman composition and two have been undergrad literature classes (Renaissance, Shakespeare and drama).

I love teaching and am much happier working with my students than doing scholarly work. Just had my best semester and class yet. Half the class used to show up 20 minutes early just to hang out and chat, and they pulled out the best grades I've ever given.

Thoughts on teaching: One of the hardest (and IMO, most important) things to do is to both direct the development of the class and let students teach themselves at the same time. And D&D dice are great for assigning roles to students (I used my d12 all semester for that purpose ).

 

[Gothmog]

I just finished my PhD in Neuroscience last spring, and I have a full-time Assistant Prof appointment at Drury College in Springfield MO now. I teach Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Neurobiology, and will be teaching Biopsychology and Drugs and Behavior in the not too distant future.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

As a grad student, I have taught intro statistics, business statistics, mathematical statistics, and calculus. This summer I will teach pre-calculus (I just hope there are some decent looking girls in my discussion sections).

 

[SpiderMonkey]

I just earned my teaching certificate in English and History last semester, and just closed out my first semester toward my MA (English, Pedagogy track). Thoughts on teaching? I'm not a big fan of lecture; I tend to lean toward constructivst methods. I'm a pretty big proponent of teaching skill processes rather than 'facts.'

I student taught at a brand new (and extraordinarily chaotic) alternative school, where my 'supervising' teacher was also the principle; I was designing the classes I was teaching as I went along, as she was too busy too be there. I learned a lot, but primarily that students (particularly of the alternative persuasion) will not learn from someone they do not trust, and sometimes you have to put your...ahem necessaries ...out where they can be kicked to earn that trust.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I'm planning to be a history professor. Does that count?

 

[Ycore Rixle]

Physics - 12th Grade
Intro Physical Science - 8th grade
9 years experience

I love teaching. One year at the summer day camp at my previous school, I ran D&D games in the computer room at lunchtime for the campers. It was awesome for many reasons. The core group was 14-year olds, one girl and half a dozen boys. They were great, but they were not exactly the social kings and queen of the camp, and some were sensitive about this. However, the computer room was the only air-conditioned room at camp, so the gamers became quite popular quite quickly as lots of people, including, to the delight of the boys, many girls, swamped them with requests to join the game. That was a great summer.

At my current school, I often give out spare miniatures as prizes in classroom games. The girls love them (it's an all-girls school).

Also, the girls in my homeroom all tell me they are going to buy my two books coming out from WOTC in the fall (Eberron Explorer's Handbook and The Magic of Incarnum). They don't play, and I doubt they'll follow through - but it sure made me feel good to hear it!

Twofalls, thanks for the kudos. Honestly, it's a great job and a labor of love.