As I’ve mentioned previously, I simply adored The Skillful
Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield. The
book provides a lot of perspective and teaching concepts but most importantly
they were supported by the authors personal teaching experiences. While I enjoyed the entire book I’d have to
say Chapter one grabbed me and reeled me in.
I was hooked on this book from the first chapter forward.
Chapter one filled me with a sense of relief, as I was not
the only instructor who felt like an imposter as they fumbled through their
first days as an educator. As an
instructor we are assumed to be an expert who can present a lesson with
enthusiasm while pleasing the audience and keeping them all engaged. To be a
clumsy amateur incapable of gaining the classes attention or respect is simply
not welcomed. Yet, when we first start teaching or presenting a new course for
the first time it is quite common for things to not be seamless, or one of our best
performances. Chapter one helped me to
realize I was not alone in my early teaching career with feelings of anxiety
and shortcomings.
Additionally, chapter one firmly reminds us that as
educators we can never possibly be ready for everything that transpires in
today’s classroom. What may work or be of use to one type of student will be
completely irrelevant to another.
Stephen D. Brookfield (2015) states, “ It seems to me that classrooms
can be thought of as arenas of confusion where teachers are struggling
gladiators of ambiguity. Just when we think we have anticipated every
eventuality, something unexpected happens that elicits new responses and causes
us to question our assumptions of good practice”. (p-7). To me this was a
powerful and accurate statement that defines the daily struggle we can face as
instructors in the ever-changing classroom environment.
Now that I’ve nearly completed PIDP 3260 and have finished
all the other program courses I can safely say this book was my favorite. I will
definitely be keeping it on my office bookshelf.
References
Brookfield, S. (2015). The
skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers
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