WHITE WATER RAFTING

What a great analogy, I never thought of it like this, but teaching most certainly IS like white water rafting.  During the “ride,” there are parts that will be “smooth sailing,” but other parts that may be compared to being on “the rapids” and consisting of many ups and downs, twists and turns in the road or “river”—and if you don’t hang on, you’re going out (of the raft).  When teaching, the material may be the same, but in reality, no two classes are ever really the same.  Sometimes, thank goodness we have on our life jackets.

Sometimes classes (or students) just pick right up on the curriculum, and other times you have to work really hard to get through to them.  One of the greatest joys of teaching is when you actually “see” when the students actually “get it!”  As we’ve previously learned, it’s because there are differently learning and teaching styles which can affect any given learning situation.

The first time I had to teach electronics was probably the single scariest time in my teaching career.  I was used to teaching about aircraft, but supervision needed a female to teach what they considered “the basics,” so I was told I was going to teach electronics, soldering, etc.  I was pretty proficient in each area EXCEPT for the electronic portion-- I just didn’t get it.  Thank goodness we had the basic lesson plans and I had some students in the first couple of classes that really understood about electronics.  I would go home at night and my husband would work with me to tell me how to explain the next day’s lesson.  It was far from the ideal learning situation for me and I’m sure, my students.  I felt it was terrible, but they actually learned, though Heavens knows how they learned (smile).  I believe it was the second time I had to teach it that I was drawing an electronic component on the board and I finally got it.  It was like, “Wow…that really is easy.”

I will always remember that teaching experience and never, ever, want to repeat it.  I don’t care how much time and effort I have to put into it before hand, but I will LEARN the information before standing up in front of someone and try to teach them.  It just isn’t fun.  Besides, as the teacher/instructor, YOU’RE supposed to be the subject matter expert! 

Tough Decision...

Growing up, I didn’t know what I wanted to be.  I just knew I just wanted to travel the world.  The end to my means was joining the Air Force.  Growing up in a military family, I guess I always knew I would also join.  I had a boyfriend that I was sure I wanted to spend my life with, but he wanted to stay in Tennessee.  The world was “my oyster” and I wanted to get to seeing it.  Thus…dump the boyfriend and join the Air Force...see that world! 

Jump forward a few years later when I went to a job as a military instructor simply as another “way to my means.”  I wanted to live in Colorado and the job opening was in Colorado.  Who would have imagined that I would end up loving to teach?  I was always kind of an extrovert, but teaching others to feel fulfilled.  It offered me the opportunity to become comfortable standing in front of people and talking.  Previously I would have never imagined being able to talk in front of crowds (everyone’s biggest fear, right?!).  That skill brought me to the next 29 years…where that skill STILL comes in handy. 

After retiring from the Air Force I went to work for a local non-profit as the Executive Director.  As part of my job I had to go out and give presentations to local businesses.  Again, my teaching/talking skills came in handy.  Good thing I was comfortable doing it!  Lots of accolades from the businesses…but is it enough?  I didn’t fill satisfied.  I had several HORRIBLE Board of Director members…and didn’t feel like I always had their support and I grew very wary.  They had gone through several directors prior to me and I was bound and determined that I was going to “make a difference.”  I did.  Then I was offered a job in my old office in Education and Training.  I took it.  It was wonderful to be appreciated again for my hard work.  I make pretty good money…and I have a job.  For that, I am grateful.  However, I should have a much higher paying job.  The compensation I receive doesn’t begin to cover what I am expected to do in my day to day job.  I was happy until we got a couple employees that do nothing and are paid more (because of their length in the system) than me.  I know, I know, life isn’t always fair.  It’s just very disheartening.   I guess it’s just the Type A personality in me, but I don’t like not being in a decision making position.  People come to me daily wanted me to make the decisions, but lately I’ve stepped back and thought about it.  I’m not paid to be in-charge…YET. J

I always put others before me.  I took care of my people first…me second.  It has now altered my career path.  I always allowed others to go to school…I manned the office.  Now I need a degree to overcome my current obstacles…when I should have got it together years ago FOR ME!!  To get promoted in my office, I need the Adult Education degree.  I’m well on my way, for sure.  HOWEVER, is getting promoted in my office what I really want to do?  I remember back to my Colorado years.  I really enjoyed teaching.  I have to remember the feeling of fulfillment I had when others learned.  It was kind of a rush!  It’s all about self-worth.  It’s all about finding me, Shelley, again.  I have some choices on the horizon to make. 

My decisions AFTER I get my BA in Adult Education:  Do I become an Education & Training Counselor or Tester…and make more money working in my current office OR do I look for another opportunity elsewhere.  Do I continue my education and get my masters in Adult Education and do what I really love?  I currently have an opportunity to have all of my education paid (and books and miscellaneous) for—but I only have 36 months to get as much education as I can.  It’s really hard now working full time and going to school.  Do I continue on and work towards my masters and give it all up to do something I enjoy or do I do the safe thing and stay where I am?  Descisions…descisions…descisions.

Getting to my goals won’t be easy, but if it was easy, then as they say, “Everyone would do it.”  I just need to make a life blueprint and just stick to it.  I need to “sux it up” for a while and get as many classes as I can completed before my education benefits expire.  I will have about 2 years to finish my masters once I complete my BA in Adult Education.  I suppose I really am blessed to have a lifetime income from my retirement, so THAT alone will allow me to look seriously at my other options.  I believe I have several options, but let’s take a look at the most probable scenario. 

Let’s look at some of my possible goals:

1)  Become the Education Services Officer (ESO) in our office (Base Training & Education Services) (with my masters)

2)  I don’t want my boss’s job; I want her boss’s job (with my masters). 

3)  Teach college classes (possibly on-line courses) (with my masters).

4)  With my BA, I can get a job as an Education & Training guru a local corporation.
5)  Stopping at my BA, I can be promoted in my current office--making more money and possibly having more fulfillment. 

So how do I get to these goals?  Let’s look at each of them:

For Option 1, 2, and 3:  For these options, I’ll need to continue with my education and obtain my master’s degree.   I will have a little bit under two years of education benefits left when I finish this degree.  It would be hard, but obtainable.  A great new ruling is that beginning later this year; I will start getting an additional educational allowance for going to school full-time.  This would help me consider if I want to just go to school full time or not.  It would make it much easier.  

For Option 1 & 2, do I really want more headaches?  With these positions come all the decisions and problems that come with it.  Maybe I need to reconsider these goals.

Option 3:  Sure, I’d need my masters to do this, but I think this would be fun.  This could easily be doable (after obtaining that degree).  If I have 2 ½ more years of college left for my masters (and to finish this degree), I’d almost be close to retirement (my second).  Should I wait?  Let me think about this one for a minute. 

Option 4:  I’ve had this opportunity previously, but turned it down.  It is a doable solution.  However, I have to have benefits and good pay.  I make pretty good pay now (just want more).  This is a maybe!

Option 5:  Stay where I am and be the best that I can.  When I get my degree I’ll get a promotion.  Maybe I should be happy with that.  More money doesn’t always mean happiness, but when you get paid a lot less than the person before you (and you have more additional duties), you get discouraged.  I have the skills for this job and I make a difference in people’s lives.  Maybe I could do this WHILE I complete my masters in Adult Education…and obtain the necessary skills for teaching on-line college courses.  I think I’ve hit on it…and have a plan.  This is my best plan.  This allows me to live today and plan for the future.

In conclusion, whatever we choose to do, hopefully we can find happiness and fulfillment.  In the long run, if we’re happy, with any luck we’ll live longer and happier lives.  Isn’t that what it’s really all about?   Life probably won’t always be perfect, but hopefully we can find ourselves and what “flips our switch.”

Too Funny...I Knew This One!!

I had a doctors appointment this morning.  While checking in with the nurse (where they ask you the 50 questions), guess what question she ask me? 

"Ms. Bailey, are you a Visual, Auditory, or Tactile Learner?"  I just had to laugh.  I told her that I am equally divided amongst the three styles.  How's that for timing.  LOL.

Shelley

My Personal Development Journal (Assignment 4.2)

Strength – Describe the strongest learning experience(s) you had thus far and why it/they were important to you.  I would have to say that the strongest learning experience that I’ve had thus far are the technology aspects of what we have learned.  As they say, “Who da thunk” that I would be blogging?  People at work and home all consider me pretty computer savvy, but let me tell you, after this class, I believe I know better.  I am, however, more computer (as far as technology) proficient than I was when I started this module.  I can blog now!  I can narrate PowerPoint slides.  Lookout world!  I never realized how easy THE BASICS of these tools are.  Mind you, I still have a ways to go, but I’m getting there. 

Improvement – Reflect on how you could improve your learning in the future.  I think that if I continue to use the learned material, I will become more and more proficient in using these newfound tools.  Throughout this module of courses, we have been learning all about the different learning styles and we’ve gone through several exercises to apply them to ourselves and our students.  NOW I really know WHY I am HOW I am.  It’s been a real eye opener! 

My problem is that I start something and don’t finish completely…then start something else and don’t complete it…and so on, so forth.  It’s really a vicious cycle.  I’ve always had this problem, doing a little bit on a whole bunch of projects.  It has always been a trait of mine that simply drives my husband insane!  I actually discovered this problem in AEDU 311, but it just hit me that I was following this same old cycle in my class work, too.  I have decided that I need to focus on one thing at a time (and complete it), so I’ve decided that I need to work on this.  To combat this, I’ve been staying after work to do my homework assignments.  This way it’s actually quiet (everyone is gone home), no arguing about my husband blaring the television and distracting me, no animals that want my undivided attention, and no projects “screaming” to be done.  I try to do this 2-3 times a week and I actually find myself focusing more on what I’m supposed to be focusing on without all the distractions.  That was one of my traits—easily distracted…and it’s so true of my personality.   This is something I will continuously work on improving.  If I can do it for class work, maybe it will spill over into my personal and professional life…who knows! 

JUST A NOTE:  My new “test” to focus on one thing at a time and complete it…well, it’s rubbed off a little.  I write a monthly article for our Chamber of Commerce which comes out in our local paper.  Well, I’m USUSALLY pushed to get it in on time, but this month I set aside specific time to do it and I actually got it in 3 days ahead of schedule.  This is very unusual for me (smile).  Focus and complete one thing at a time. That’s MY GOAL.

Insight – What new discoveries/understanding did you get in the learning process? How will you apply it to what you are doing in your daily professional or personal life?  I always knew how I learned best.  I didn’t take the Myers-Briggs Assessment until probably 15 years ago, but I knew what worked best for ME, Shelley—the individual.  From this course, I have realized that even though I didn’t know (per say) I was doing it; I was incorporating many different learning styles into my lessons.  Like I said, I came from a military background learning environment.  THEY didn’t care if they could make learning easier for the students.  All they cared about was the numbers.  I guess it really all comes with experience--you can spot the students that are struggling and you find ways to make it work—to help them learn. 

Now that I am more aware of the types of learning and teaching styles, I will be more aware and will attempt to incorporate some of the other styles into my lessons.  I guess, however, it will be student based…whatever they need.  Depending on the length of the course, I’m going to do an assessment (making it fun)…so I can get a better insight to the types of learners occupying the seats in my class. 

Additionally, I know we are not the experts, but by conducting a very quick learning-style assessment at the beginning of each of our classes would not only benefit each of us, but would also, in the long run, benefit our students.  It would also depend on the length of the class.  It wouldn’t be conducive to conduct one on a class which was only a day or two long…but for the longer courses, it would.  Certainly we could never satisfy each and every student or learning style, but many students would benefit.  I feel that it really would be a very valuable tool to use. 

In conclusion, this class has taught us to respect our life experiences our different styles that each of us bring to the classroom.  In the teaching arena, none of us want to see our students fail and it seems as though each of us will do what we can to make the learning and teaching experience more of a pleasant one for both the student and ourselves.  Face it, we each have a wealth of information in which we can draw from and we want to do well. 

Furthermore, I have to say that you may have opened “Pandora’s Box” with me blogging, etc.  I love technology, and sometimes it takes me a little longer to “master” something, but once “I’ve learned it, look out.”  Hey, it can only get easier…RIGHT?  J

LOOKOUT, I'M ON MY EDUCATIONAL SOAPBOX

I’m on my soapbox about education, styles of learning/teaching, and labeling students THAT DON’T FALL WITHIN WHAT WE CONSIDER “NORMAL PERIMETERS.”

 Our entire lives are spent learning.  I believe when you stop learning, life as we know it is basically over.  I feel that any day that you learn something, is a great day.  Our lives have been defined and influenced by “how and what we learn” in both our personal and professional lives.  We’ve always heard, that “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”   I absolutely believe this is true in the learning arena.  It’s so very important to use your brain—to keep it sharp. 

I have to agree with Victor Hugo when he says, “When an instructor's style matches a student’s learning style, that student typically experiences greater satisfaction and a more positive attitude toward the course.  However, there is considerable disagreement as to what degree learning styles actually affect a student's ability to do well.”  I find that when I’m doing well in a learning environment and the instructor and I “click,” I am much more satisfied and more open to the learning atmosphere.  I seem to learn more!!  When my style and the instructor’s style is complete opposite, I tend to find myself less open to learning.  I’m sure it’s the same with most of us.  There needs to be a commonality between the learner and student. 

I don’t, however, agree when he compares learning styles with learning personalities.  To me, I don’t see much of a difference or don’t care if there is a difference.  To me, how do I learn?  What makes it easier for me?  Does it matter if it’s a “style” or “personality?”  Not to me, it doesn’t!

I had a wonderful woman, Debra, working for me one time and her son, “William” went to a public school in the town that I live in.  William is dyslexic…which is a very common learning disability throughout the world.  He’s a wonderful, talented, and bright young man.  Cindy told me that the school had placed him in “Special Education” classes in his school.  They actually labeled him “mentally retarded” because of this.  When I found this out I was furious.  I told her, “How dare they label him as retarded…a stigma and label he would carry with him his whole life.”  I really was angry about that.  She went to the school and demanded that they classify him correctly.  They eventually did.  Students can be “labeled” good or bad.  Either way, these labels can be truly disruptive to one’s life. 

Speaking of learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, there have been many people, such as the CEO of Cisco Systems (John Chambers) who have been affected by this learning disability.  My sister used to be on his staff.  He had to find out what worked for him.  Instead of doing emails to his senior staff, he preferred to hold face-to-face meetings.  It was easier for him.  Face it---that’s the same for all of us.  We ALL have to learn what works best for us, and go for it, don’t we?!

If you tell a child or an adult that they are stupid or dumb…and they hear it over and over, they will believe it.  If you tell a child/adult that they are brilliant, bright, etc…they will usually work hard to live up to this.  Sometimes it’s difficult to live up to this label, too!  If you live in an encouraging environment, you usually can flourish. 

In conclusion, the bottom-line is that if you can figure out what helps you learn, you can implement some of the steps/remove the distractors, you will also learn much.  The “world is your oyster” and the possibilities are really endless when you figure out how YOU learn.  You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can figure out how to apply the learning, it doesn’t do you a bit of good.  Call it a theory or personality…who cares?!  Just take time and learn—that’s all that matters.

REFERENCES:

http://victorhugor.blogspot.com/2009/05/learning-styles-theory-at-controversy.html