Mission Statement

I share these observations about teaching and tutoring for four reasons. The reasons, it just so happens, are also my goals when I work with a student, which is convenient because I struggled to come up with one workable acronym and now I can double dip. I like to think of it as intellectual frugality, but I digress. The four reasons (well five, my intense egomania) follow:

1. Awareness

2. Reflection

3. Translation

4. Self Esteem

ARTS. Or I could rearrange it to STAR or TARS or RATS ... or another utterly forgettable word that would insure I fail any basic marketing course. Anyway, for now, it's ARTS (subject to change) and these four dynamics provide the backbone in the relationship between a teacher and a student.

Why awareness? A teacher should develop awareness in a student, so a student can self correct. "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish ..." Well, in dealing with academic material the "fishing" is developing cognitive skills. A teacher who develops awareness about a student makes a more substantial connection.

Why reflection? I agree with the widely held idea that knowledge is acquired through experience, but learning helps strengthen the understanding. Reflection, a form of metacognition, provides an opportunity to learn about what is acquired. It works for both students and teachers.

Why translation? Essentially, translation is what I do. I make the material relatable to the student. Mathematics is as much a language as English or Spanish. Computers have a language, so does the field of Social Studies. Philosophy, Psychology, Physics all have their own languages, fascinating ones that should be shared. James Gee calls the different languages Discourses. Students have their own and may be willing to teach an educator who treats the students, as well as their modes of communication, with respect. I like to learn, so the more languages the better.Let's all be exegetes. (Impressed logophiles? Not so much, sesquipedalians?)

Why self-esteem? (Why do I keep asking why?) People need to have their own backs because the world does not. I'm what Viktor Frankl called a tragic optimist. I believe the world provides the negatives without prompting, so it is up to people to remain as positive as they can. Pointing out good qualities (truthful, observable, substantiated characterstics) is a hobby of mine. So is comic book reading. Just kidding. Comic reading isn't my hobby. It's my lifestyle. And I think, in this time in particular, teachers need a bit of a boost, too.

Recently, I read about the idea of dialogic discourse (thanks to the works of Paulo Freire), a fancy way of noting that students learn from teachers and teachers learn from students. So, here is a blog, celebrating all the students who have taught me so much through anecdotes and observations. I hope it will help improve the relationships between educators and students.