What Has Made You a Better Teacher?

Here’s a challenge for you – write a comment telling us what one thing has made you a better teacher.  It’s easier said than done.  One thing that has made me a better teacher is my move to Morocco.  Teaching here has had it’s own special set of challenges – like the fact that my kids only speak English when they are in my class (and sometimes not even then!), but teaching here has also brought it’s own special set of rewards.  I love being able to connect with the background knowledge my students have, and being able to utilize their other languages.  I love that when we look at the globe, they can all point to at least one other country they’ve been to.  I love re-looking at my own language through their eyes. 

In addition to being a teacher in Morocco, I am a parent here.  My children don’t go to my school, but to a Moroccan school where they spend half of their day in French and half of their day in Arabic.  They come home for lunch every day.  They have chalkboards, not whiteboards (and definitely not interactive whiteboards) in their classrooms, and almost no books.  The teaching methods are “traditional” to say the least.  But, the teachers are caring and experienced and my children are learning so much!  As a “non-traditional” teacher, it has made me take a step back and remember that schools can look many different ways and have many different programs, but still focus on education children.

Being a “global” teacher has inspired me.  So much so, that I have a new project in the works.  I won’t tell you all the details right now, but be on the look out for something big in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, please take the time to tell me what has changed you as a teacher.