Happy Little Vegemites

Today, I got to sit in on a double period of Science, and observe my mentor teacher in action. I started thinking about how I was going to draw any significance from the last couple of uni classes and my first day of placement, particularly in relation to my 'emerging professional identity'. Drawing significance from my experience is one big pot of brain-ache normally, but I thought I'd better start doing some mental gymnastics soonish or I'd never come up with anything. We had just spent some time in class going over the Key Selection Criteria for teaching jobs in Government schools, and one of these, number 4, basically states the following:

"Demonstrated...high level interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop constructive relationships with students, parents and other staff"

Key Selection Criteria describe the kinds of qualities that employers look for in graduate teachers. Here is a clear delineation of one of the facets that has to make up my professional identity - the ability to develop relationships with students, parents and other staff. What is exciting is that I realized I can demonstrate that I do that already, and I already have a strong personal philosophy on how the relationship between a teacher and a student can help facilitate learning.

I have spent a stupid amount of my life talking to, listening to, laughing with, learning from, marveling at and walking through life with teenagers. I can build relationships with them. I may not always understand them (Nicki Minaj? Really?), but I am capable of building relationships with them. And I do believe that the very best learning environments are based on relationships between a teacher and their students. A positive working relationship means there will be respect on both sides. A constructive relationship means that you can get the best from your students, and in doing so you can expect them to respond (in some way) to your efforts to motivate them and challenge them. A constructive relationship isn't, however, a friendship or even simply 'nice'. Sometimes you will have to get stuck into your students because you care about their progression through the education system, and you know they can do better. Sometimes you need to protect the learners in an environment from a disruptive student, and the disruptive student from him or herself. Sometimes, you need to be tough. But only because you first built a relationship with your students, based on respect, consideration and genuine appreciation. And maybe some bribery (chocolates anyone?).

Naively optimistic? Maybe. But I enjoy the connections I have with the teenagers in my world, and if I couldn't have that as part of my teaching identity, I don't think I would want to be a teacher.