#pidp3260

Hello everyone,

I am Ravinder S. Sra. I did M.Sc. (mathematics) from Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar, Punjab, India. I moved to Canada with my family. First, I did English as a second language from College of New Caledonia, Prince George, Canada to improve my English knowledge. Then, I did M. Sc. (mathematics) from University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada. I want to pursue my career in teaching so that is why I am taking PIDP program from Vancouver Community College, Vancouver, Canada. I have teaching experience from my home country, but I do not have any Canadian teaching experience.

Last night we went to see the stage production of the Sound of Music, directed by my dear friend Heather. She has been my anchor while I am learning to become a better teacher. She has kept me grounded when I have been replete with Imposter Syndrome. She has been teaching for many years, and I am in awe of her wisdom and forethought.

When she took on the role of director for this production we talked about the necessity for authenticity in this time of increasing fascism south of the border and in some European countries. Her desire was to remain true to the original text of Sound of Music, which included the use of the term Nazi, demonstrations of the sieg heil salute, and the showing of the Swastika. In her eyes these were all things that can not be forgotten, and need to be shown for what they are.

She received a lot of push back from the governance of the theatre, which felt that there is no place in modern stage plays to depict that.

In the end, the theatre directors must have won out, since none of those things were depicted in the production. Hitler was not mentioned. There were only vague references to "calls from Berlin", and "raising of the German flag".

In the program handed out was this:

"We are aware that the depiction of Nazis and Nazi symbolism can be triggering for all those impacted by the horrors of World War 2 - we felt we could not ignore them in this context. Ultimately the story is one of hope, and this cast does a brilliant job singing us into an ending that has the audience reflecting and cheering at the same time."

It was an amazing production. Was it right or wrong to not address Nazism on the stage? I'm still not sure. I am keen to talk with Heather again to see how the final decision was made.

I’ve been really struggling over the past few weeks. I’m enrolled in 2 different PIDP course, both with the same instructor.

Both courses have an assignment that involves researching a subject, then creating a presentation that is at minimum 25 minutes in length. One requires 5 sources, then other 10.

I gathered my materials, created a slideshow presentation, and recorded my voice going over the content. It came to 14 minutes. Shit. I added more material that didn’t really add to the quality, but stretched the time. I then spoke vvvveeeerrryyy slowly and watched the timer creep towards 25 minutes.

I did the same thing with both presentations. I completed the assignments, but i was angry.

I have learned both from my experience and from other PIDP classes that attention spans are short. Keep presentations short, concise, get to the point, leave them wanting more.

These assignments were the opposite of that. I was adding crap and talking more just for the sake of meeting the time requirements. It’s been really upsetting me. Am I the only one who feels this way? Other students seem to be turning in assignments and not expressing their frustrations with it.

I arrived at our campsite last night. We’re here for a week. I downloaded the audible version of the textbook The Skillful Teacher By Stephen Brookfield, and listened to the first three chapters. I almost cried. He was voicing exactly what I was feeling.

It’s OK to accept that a method of learning is not working for you. It’s also OK to realize a teacher’s expectations may be out of touch with reality. It’s not OK for a teacher to stand by their curriculum and not be responsive to the needs of their students.

I have felt a huge sense of relief today, letting go of the anger I’ve been holding on to. I’m formulating a long response to the instructor of the courses, laying out my issues. My hope is that he is responsive and can make changes to the program so that students like me do not feel so overwhelmed.

Chapter 2 discussed the four characteristics of a skillful teacher. According to Brookfield (2015), the characteristics are:

A teacher must do what the student needs to learn;

A teacher must always reflect upon their own practice;

A teacher must always be aware of students' learning outcomes and perceptions of the teacher;

College age students are adults.

While all the characteristics are insightful, the last one is the most interesting, focusing on treating college students as adults. As a college student, I lived at home with my mother. We had developed this roommate relationship, and I could come and go as I pleased. While Mom was discreet in her fears, I knew that every morning, she looked in the driveway to see if my car was parked there, and that made her worry less.

Treating people as adults allows them to rise to the task of adulthood. This is not desirable or sustainable. It is undesirable because the young adult will experience significant delays in growing up, burdening them and their parents. It is unsustainable because when people are all grown up, they care for themselves financially. If they are unable to reach that goal because they have never grown up, then they will develop dependancies.

The student-teacher relationship in the classroom is both different and similar. It is different setting, and because of the t is similar because teachers must also let students grow up. For example, students often "test" their teachers when asking for exceptions to deadlines or assignment requirements. Depending on the school's policy, if the teacher allows them to avoid following the syllabus, the student will never understand that doing timely work is part of growing up. This will ensure that they grow up to be responsible adults.

In closing, students must be treated as adults and expected to act as adults, whether at home, school, or the workplace. While they may not receive this message positively at first, it will pave the way for their life success.

References

Since 2007, Dennis’s leadership experiences have spanned across the continuum of care in Health and Social Services, Education, and Justice. Dennis’s focus is organizational development, mental health and addictions, and quality improvement. A self-declared northerner, a two-time immigrant, and a seasoned senior government executive with extensive experience in health, education, social, and public safety services. Originally from Greece, Dennis moved to the USA in 1994 accompanying his parents in their pursuit of medical education. Dennis immigrated to Canada in 2003 to pursue his own educational, professional, and personal dreams. Ever since, Dennis has focused on working with people in rural and remote communities in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and British Columbia. While in Canada, Dennis has earned graduate degrees, a graduate certificate, three professional designations, lived in parts of the country that many people only dream of visiting, and has connected with communities and cultures which have enriched his life personally and professionally. Dennis enjoys outdoor activities, and has taken on activities such as mountain biking, running, hiking, and cross country skiing.

Dennis in Education