Teaching Tip #45

Teacherscribe’s Teaching Tip #45

What’s your story?

Tell students your story.  This is a little bit like Teaching Tip #6 (noble teaching purpose). 

I’m guessing all of us had at least one (hopefully many, many more) amazing teacher who made us want to be teachers.  A teacher who saw in us something no one else did (certainly not ourselves).  A teacher (or coach) who pushed us to unlock our talents.  A teacher who made us feel confident and good at something.

Tell your students that story.

Why?  A couple of reasons:  First, it reminds them that you were once just like them.  How can that hurt?  Send them the message, I was just like you.  I was in your same situation.  But I had a teacher who changed my life.  I’m going to try and do the same thing for you.  Again, how can that hurt?

Second, telling them your story will remind them of your mission: to impact their lives.  I seriously doubt if any teachers ever went into this profession to just teach cut and dried curriculum through predetermined lessons and worksheets from the textbook company.  Tell them your mission - why did you become a teacher?  How do you want to impact them? 

For me, I had a number of great teachers, but two who changed my life were Mr. Mueller in sixth grade and Mrs. Christianson in 9th grade.