Track 2: Treehugger by Antsy Pantsy and Kimya Dawson (My Need to Be Me)

The flower said "I wish I was a tree"

The tree said "I wish I could be a different kind of tree"

The cat wished that it was a bee (Dawson, 2006)

When I was younger I wanted to be a ballerina because I loved to dance or a nun because I loved to sing, plus one of all time favourite films was Sound of Music and I think Julie Andrews is the shizzle.


When faced with the question "Who am I?" I immediately recoil and want to reply with "Who do YOU think I am?" or "Do YOU know who you are?" It's not that I'm trying to be obstinate or evasive, I really don't think anyone can answer this question sufficiently because there will always be gaps that we can't express ourselves. I know who I am, but I find it difficult to express to others who I am. 

 
So I'll cheat a little bit here and say that I am a chameleon. I'm constantly changing and growing in and out of phases in life. It's not to say that I'm two-faced or anything, rather it means that I tend to adapt to my environment and act according to the specific context.

I do believe it is of utmost importance to have a firm grasp of one's identity in order to educate others. Palmer describes it well in his article: what we teach will never "take" unless it connects with the living core of our students' lives, their inward teachers and we can only make this connection when we can communicate with the teacher within ourselves (Palmer, 1997).

This idea of connecting students' learning with their living is very much related to the significance domain of the quality teaching framework: students need to find out why and to understand that their learning matters. Teachers need to make clear connections in their lesson planning with the significance elements: background knowledge, cultural knowledge, knowledge integration, inclusivity, connectedness and narrative (NSW DET, 2003). 


For an HSIE assignment, I (along with my group) have been able to plan a learning sequence with a particular focus on the significance domain of quality teaching framework.  The activities in the learning sequence aim to make connections between students' learning and their life experiences. 

So back to my original question: Who am I? As a teacher, I hope not only to explain to my students  the hows and the whys of their learning; making links to the significance of their work in class, I also hope to cover the other domains of quality teaching: intellectual quality and providing a quality learning environment. I'd like to say that I am a caring and empathetic teacher -if I can't see a purpose or be engaged in a particular activity then I know my students won't be engaged and won't consider it significant either. I also know that as a teacher, I will struggle to work through my emotions. For example, if I've had a rough day it will show through my teaching, my students will know if I'm not my usual cheery self.

In saying this, I don't pretend to have it all figured out. I know that there will be many hurdles ahead, that my sense of self will constantly be re-shaped and constructed. Learning to teach is not just about progressing from a novice to an expert teacher, but how self is remade in context, working by, on and through our emotions (Bullough et al, 2002). 

So where to next?
I need to make sure that when I teach, I don't imitate others... despite my mother being my role model, my teaching strategies are very different from hers. I've decided to observe her as she teaches Senior High School Chemistry classes (before term 4 ends) to get a better sense of how her approach to teaching works and to gain a deeper understanding of how she puts her theoretical beliefs into practice. 

Reference List

Bullough, R.V. & Young, J. (2002). Learning to teach as an intern: the emotions and the self. Teacher development 6(3).  Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.ezproxy2.library.usyd.edu.au/335556_751320080_739079845.pdf

Dawson, K. (2006). Tree hugger. [Recorded by Antsy Pantsy]. On Antsy pantsy. [Online video]. Illinois: Plan It X Records

NSW Department of Education and Training. (2003). Quality teaching in NSW public schools. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/docs/pdf/qt_EPSColor.pdf

Palmer, P.J. (1997).  The heart of a teacher: Identity and integrity in teaching. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/character/palmer.htm