Who am I? Beneath the horse patterned covers of my ten year old bed spread, I remember pondering this question and wrestling with the challenge of answering this in an authentic and original manner.
In many ways we evolve and create multiple answers to this question. In "The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of the Mind" Olson writes that "someone’s personal identity in this sense is contingent and temporary: the way I define myself as a person might have been different, and can vary from one time to another" (p. 354).
To me, my identity as an instructor is ever evolving. While there are dominant traits such as my student influenced teaching methods (NAGT, n.d.) and my existentialist philosophical approach, I think those traits feed my need for change and love for impermanence.
Within those traits and my affinity for adaptation, my values include helping people feel confident, sharing ideas, and having fun. Seeing confidence develop in my students is my number one motivator and thinking about their breakthroughs and successes gives me goosebumps. A huge part of student success is the broad scope of knowledge, personality and experience they bring to class. Tapping into each student's worlds and getting to share ideas and perspectives with them is continually invigorating. And if I can throw in a few puns along the way that is the hilarity cherry on top!
I thoroughly enjoyed Brookfield's truths (2015). My truth would be that I must be myself if I wish my students to show up authentically and genuinely learn. My truth is that in order to teach well I must have goodwill and professional affection for the wellbeing of each student.
I would like to leave with a song that brings me back to that young girl under her horse covered blanket who found a way to answer the philosophical question of identity with "I am me!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ikblV9Cyg
References
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom. Jossey-Bass.
National Association of Geoscience Teachers. (n.d.). Vignettes: Case Studies on Teaching. NAGTWorkshops. Retrieved on January 7, 2024 from https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/certop/vignettes.html
Stich, S., & Warfield, T. (Eds.). (2003). The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Mind. Oxford: Blackwell.
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