A Teacher's Journey- A Photo Narrative
While composing this photo narrative I tried to think about the parts of my life that were important to me and relate to the way I work as a teacher. I then did my best to find a visual representation of these ideas. This personalized the narrative for me and led to a deeper reflection about who I am as a teacher and where I see myself going. I included photographs beginning with the time period that I left the United States and started teaching. There are three photographs related to my time in South Korea and one from a trip in Cambodia.
Busan, South Korea - 2010
This is a of photograph of Busan, South Korea. In November of 2009 I began my life abroad and my teaching career. I landed in the bustling port city of Busan. Leaving the United States was a difficult choice but in retrospect was one of my best decisions. Living in Korea opened me to Asian culture as well as the cultures of my co-workers. I became close friends with people from the South Africa, England and Australia and developed a perspective of the kind of lives they lived. The interesting thing is that before moving to Korea I had never been particularly mindful of places outside of the United States. I put this picture in the narrative because it represents a transition in my awareness and identity. Prior to my time living in Korea I identified as a country kid from New York State. Now I’m lucky to have lived in two foreign countries, learned an Asian language, experienced a myriad of things unknown to me and become a richer person. As a teacher it is very important to me to spark interest in different cultures because I feel strongly that I've enjoyed an incredible life because of my own curiosity. I’m not looking to send all of my students across the world but I’d like to foster an awareness of a variety of places and cultures. Not only do I think global awareness is a valuable skill but I think it simply leads to a more enjoyable and interesting life.
Ulsan, South Korea – 2012
This is a picture of an open class I gave while teaching in Korea. I chose this picture in my narrative about how I developed as a teacher because it actually shows me in the classroom. I was surprised when I saw this photograph and asked myself the question ‘Is that what I really look like to these children?” I’m not implying that I was proud or embarrassed; it was just a bit shocking to see things from the perspective of the children I was attempting to teach the past simple tense to. I had a similar reaction while watching videos of open classes around this time. The reason I put this picture here, and mention my reaction to seeing myself as a teacher is my appreciation for professional development. I'm usually very nervous about open classes but I certainly recognize their benefits. Giving an open class or truly working to improve as a teacher requires the kind of humility I think a teacher needs to have. Initially I might be apprehensive about having my teaching practices observed but this is a way to improving. I still have work to do as a teacher but I’m happy to see strategies developing and have high hopes that my skill as teacher will continue to grow.
Ulsan, South Korea - 2012
This picture is one of my favorites. Like the last, it is during a class that I taught. This was a group of kindergarten students that I taught once a week in a small country side school. The students had little exposure to Westerners so I was a bit of a celebrity in the classroom. Going to spend an hour with them was energy consuming but joyous. I chose this picture because it relates to one my earliest attitudes toward teaching. I look at this photograph and can’t help but want these children to feel completely safe and free in their environment.
I’ve done a lot of teaching at the primary school level and am now looking to transition to secondary levels. I still remain firm in my belief that a teacher needs to create a safe and inviting environment at any level. I have spent a lot of time considering the way a teacher serves the emotional, physical and developmental well-being of their students. I spend a great deal of time focusing on how to instruct material but I never want to lose sight of the well being of the children. As I develop as a teacher I expect to find better ways to achieve learning objectives but I won’t forget why I started teaching in the first place. My aim as a teacher is to make a positive contribution in the lives of the children who come through my class. This is particularly clear to me while I look at this photograph.
Angkor Wat - 2013
This is a picture of my wife and I at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is one the world’s oldest religious sites and visiting it was a very powerful experience. I took a trip to Cambodia shortly after moving to Vietnam to work as an ESL teacher at a language center. Moving to Vietnam was a difficult transition for me and at that time I seriously questioned my career direction. Conditions in Vietnam were all too intense for me when we first arrived. Although I had lived in Korea for more than two and a half years, I was ill equipped to cope with the urban jungle that is Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, working conditions at the language center were very poor. We considered leaving but I decided to apply for a position at an International School in HCMC. I considered it a long shot but tried anyway. Fortunately my interview went well and I was awarded a position as a 4th grade homeroom teacher. That was two years ago and working at this school has cemented my feelings about teaching. This was first chance I ever had to work with the same group of students every day for a year. The experience was amazing and I found that teaching doesn’t really feel like ‘work’ to me. This is the experience that caused me to enroll at The College of New Jersey and seek professional certification. The photo is included in this narrative because it speaks to me about a number of ideas I have about teaching. One is perseverance. I’m likely to encounter difficulties along the way to becoming an effective teacher but I can feel confident that it is all leading somewhere. As far as ways that this translates to teaching practices I can’t point towards one trend or technique. I can say that the photograph represents a valuable life lesson that I can impart to students who are struggling through similar tribulations. The other ideas related to teaching that this photograph represents is being a lifelong learner. When I left the United States over four years ago, I would have found it difficult to locate Cambodia or Ho Chi Minh City on a map. Yet here I am, learning something new day by day in a place I really had no way to imagine in the past. This is an excellent ideal for a teacher to strive towards. A teacher needs to be an ambitious learner to comprehend and utilize the trends that we have discussed in this course and bring their benefits to the classroom.
Looking back at this narrative I think my progression as a teacher can be charted through the lens of empowerment. I began teaching with a very small knowledge bank and was often limited by this. As I've continued to teach my tools have grown and I do often feel more able to effectively work with my students. I didn't include a photograph representing the start of my graduate studies with The College of New Jersey but this is a very empowering moment. This is my first formal experience with education studies and I feel very confident about its effect in my classroom. As for an educational trend that I’m going to incorporate into my classroom, I think the best one for my current role as a 4th grade elementary teacher is a kinesthetic trend. My students have serious amounts of pressure in their lives, often spending 12 hours a day at various schools. I’m going to implement a daily 10-15 minute yoga session in the morning. I’d like work on their faculty for quiet down time so that we can utilize it at particularly stressful times of the day or school year. My aim is to branch off the yoga routine and eventually incorporate elements of creative writing. My co-teacher has recently taken up yoga so I have full support and assistance. The real benefit to this trend is that it has such power to affect other aspects in the classroom. A relaxed, stress-free student is more likely to be engaged with material, cooperate with others and stay on task through instruction.
While composing this photo narrative I tried to think about the parts of my life that were important to me and relate to the way I work as a teacher. I then did my best to find a visual representation of these ideas. This personalized the narrative for me and led to a deeper reflection about who I am as a teacher and where I see myself going. I included photographs beginning with the time period that I left the United States and started teaching. There are three photographs related to my time in South Korea and one from a trip in Cambodia.
Busan, South Korea - 2010
This is a of photograph of Busan, South Korea. In November of 2009 I began my life abroad and my teaching career. I landed in the bustling port city of Busan. Leaving the United States was a difficult choice but in retrospect was one of my best decisions. Living in Korea opened me to Asian culture as well as the cultures of my co-workers. I became close friends with people from the South Africa, England and Australia and developed a perspective of the kind of lives they lived. The interesting thing is that before moving to Korea I had never been particularly mindful of places outside of the United States. I put this picture in the narrative because it represents a transition in my awareness and identity. Prior to my time living in Korea I identified as a country kid from New York State. Now I’m lucky to have lived in two foreign countries, learned an Asian language, experienced a myriad of things unknown to me and become a richer person. As a teacher it is very important to me to spark interest in different cultures because I feel strongly that I've enjoyed an incredible life because of my own curiosity. I’m not looking to send all of my students across the world but I’d like to foster an awareness of a variety of places and cultures. Not only do I think global awareness is a valuable skill but I think it simply leads to a more enjoyable and interesting life.
Ulsan, South Korea – 2012
This is a picture of an open class I gave while teaching in Korea. I chose this picture in my narrative about how I developed as a teacher because it actually shows me in the classroom. I was surprised when I saw this photograph and asked myself the question ‘Is that what I really look like to these children?” I’m not implying that I was proud or embarrassed; it was just a bit shocking to see things from the perspective of the children I was attempting to teach the past simple tense to. I had a similar reaction while watching videos of open classes around this time. The reason I put this picture here, and mention my reaction to seeing myself as a teacher is my appreciation for professional development. I'm usually very nervous about open classes but I certainly recognize their benefits. Giving an open class or truly working to improve as a teacher requires the kind of humility I think a teacher needs to have. Initially I might be apprehensive about having my teaching practices observed but this is a way to improving. I still have work to do as a teacher but I’m happy to see strategies developing and have high hopes that my skill as teacher will continue to grow.
Ulsan, South Korea - 2012
This picture is one of my favorites. Like the last, it is during a class that I taught. This was a group of kindergarten students that I taught once a week in a small country side school. The students had little exposure to Westerners so I was a bit of a celebrity in the classroom. Going to spend an hour with them was energy consuming but joyous. I chose this picture because it relates to one my earliest attitudes toward teaching. I look at this photograph and can’t help but want these children to feel completely safe and free in their environment.
I’ve done a lot of teaching at the primary school level and am now looking to transition to secondary levels. I still remain firm in my belief that a teacher needs to create a safe and inviting environment at any level. I have spent a lot of time considering the way a teacher serves the emotional, physical and developmental well-being of their students. I spend a great deal of time focusing on how to instruct material but I never want to lose sight of the well being of the children. As I develop as a teacher I expect to find better ways to achieve learning objectives but I won’t forget why I started teaching in the first place. My aim as a teacher is to make a positive contribution in the lives of the children who come through my class. This is particularly clear to me while I look at this photograph.
Angkor Wat - 2013
This is a picture of my wife and I at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is one the world’s oldest religious sites and visiting it was a very powerful experience. I took a trip to Cambodia shortly after moving to Vietnam to work as an ESL teacher at a language center. Moving to Vietnam was a difficult transition for me and at that time I seriously questioned my career direction. Conditions in Vietnam were all too intense for me when we first arrived. Although I had lived in Korea for more than two and a half years, I was ill equipped to cope with the urban jungle that is Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, working conditions at the language center were very poor. We considered leaving but I decided to apply for a position at an International School in HCMC. I considered it a long shot but tried anyway. Fortunately my interview went well and I was awarded a position as a 4th grade homeroom teacher. That was two years ago and working at this school has cemented my feelings about teaching. This was first chance I ever had to work with the same group of students every day for a year. The experience was amazing and I found that teaching doesn’t really feel like ‘work’ to me. This is the experience that caused me to enroll at The College of New Jersey and seek professional certification. The photo is included in this narrative because it speaks to me about a number of ideas I have about teaching. One is perseverance. I’m likely to encounter difficulties along the way to becoming an effective teacher but I can feel confident that it is all leading somewhere. As far as ways that this translates to teaching practices I can’t point towards one trend or technique. I can say that the photograph represents a valuable life lesson that I can impart to students who are struggling through similar tribulations. The other ideas related to teaching that this photograph represents is being a lifelong learner. When I left the United States over four years ago, I would have found it difficult to locate Cambodia or Ho Chi Minh City on a map. Yet here I am, learning something new day by day in a place I really had no way to imagine in the past. This is an excellent ideal for a teacher to strive towards. A teacher needs to be an ambitious learner to comprehend and utilize the trends that we have discussed in this course and bring their benefits to the classroom.
Looking back at this narrative I think my progression as a teacher can be charted through the lens of empowerment. I began teaching with a very small knowledge bank and was often limited by this. As I've continued to teach my tools have grown and I do often feel more able to effectively work with my students. I didn't include a photograph representing the start of my graduate studies with The College of New Jersey but this is a very empowering moment. This is my first formal experience with education studies and I feel very confident about its effect in my classroom. As for an educational trend that I’m going to incorporate into my classroom, I think the best one for my current role as a 4th grade elementary teacher is a kinesthetic trend. My students have serious amounts of pressure in their lives, often spending 12 hours a day at various schools. I’m going to implement a daily 10-15 minute yoga session in the morning. I’d like work on their faculty for quiet down time so that we can utilize it at particularly stressful times of the day or school year. My aim is to branch off the yoga routine and eventually incorporate elements of creative writing. My co-teacher has recently taken up yoga so I have full support and assistance. The real benefit to this trend is that it has such power to affect other aspects in the classroom. A relaxed, stress-free student is more likely to be engaged with material, cooperate with others and stay on task through instruction.