The "Teacher Man" short video was an interesting interview. Frank McCourt used is unique background from outside the traditional world of education to bring a unique-for-the-time pedagogy to some of the most difficult classrooms in New York.
I particularly was interested in how he demanded students to develop their own sense of critical inquiry, in the same way he was in university. I also thought his take on honesty was interesting. In the video, he says, "drop the act". Teaching forces you to tell the truth, and integrity, honestly, and vulnerability with your students allows them to see you for who you are, and connect with you. Finally, he says: "If teenagers will listen to you, the world will listen to you". Not only does he mean that if you can communicate with teenagers who don't want to be at school you'll be able to communicate with everyone else, but that teenagers are the future of the world. If you connect with them, you connect with the world.
This discussion prompted me to reflect on how I'd like to be honest with my students about my experiences learning math. In high school I often struggled to pay attention, and found that my comprehension was never properly reflected in my grades. I'd like to connect with my students in that I understand that they might be struggling too. It's normal, and we'll work together to get there!
I think it’s actually a strength for us as teachers to recall our own struggles when we were learning. We can actually have empathy with our students!
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