teaching/learning/teaching/learning

the life of a dedicated teacher is cyclical—constantly learning and growing, incorporating that into your teaching, and then doing it again. i remember reading an academic blog about teaching once where they talked about the frustration/joy of finding the perfect way to teach something to a class only to discover that it didn’t work at all with the next cohort of students. but, if you love teaching, this challenge is also part of the fun. 

when i think back to my favorite learning experiences, i think about two big semester long projects evaluating different HIV prevention programs in the local community that i put a lot of work into in undergrad and then felt really proud of (which still sit in binders on my parents' attic bookcase--pls don't remind them or they'll make me go clear them out!). and i also think about creative projects where i got to choose how to apply the project parameters (sometimes to the dismay of my teachers: sorry mrs.byron for the tsunami demo--but it did really show the devastation of a big wave!).

and when i think back to my favorite teaching moments, i first think about co-teaching w my colleague emma in the advanced qual class: it was a class where students really cared and were really interested. and having a partner teacher who was really invested made it feel like i wasn't alone in the process. and the paper we wrote together through that process actually encapsulates some of that in the title: "when it feels like we're in this together." other fav teaching moments include when i am teaching a new thing that i'm really excited about, like different fitness and yoga variations i haven’t taught before (hello deep house yoga!). 

across these favorites, i notice a few themes: 1) opportunities for deep engagement (including the amazing feeling of being challenged and working hard on something, 2) the joy of creativity (options!), and 3) community.  

and so purposefully creating opportunities for all of these in the classroom feels important to me--and the last two of these especially pull ideas from pedagogical theories i really value. for example: trauma-informed teaching teaches the importance of options across the classroom experience. and bell hooks' "teaching community" is one of my favorite pedagogical books (which, perhaps obviously, focuses on creating communities of learning). 

and lastly, i'll add the value of reflections! every time i pause to reflect (especially through writing), there is the opportunity to crystalize my own values and lessons learned. so, here i am, reflecting, feeling gratitude for all the opportunities i have had for learning and teaching and teaching and learning over my life, and reminding myself to continue the process.