Third Teacher

I may think my voice is beautiful and expect all the students to be quiet the moment I talk, but the reality is that it doesn't always happen. I don't think I can ever remember sitting in a meeting where I didn't drift off and stare at the faces of others doing the same.

Let students learn!

         Let them play and not be intimidated!

                     Let them make mistakes and learn from one another!

Learning isn't only what comes out of the mouth of the babbling teacher. I may think I know everything and that I can say it in a student friendly way, but sometimes most times, students need to just try it first hand or have a classmate explain it to them. I'm stunting them if I tell them everything.

The idea of the Third Teacher is that learning is more innate and environmental. This past year we were extremely fortunate as a class to go on a lot of field trips and experience the world first hand. The destinations and learning that took place was phenomenal.
We got a private tour of the Prime Ministers office... and saw his Beatles mug on his desk!
Met our local MPP Soo Wong who introduced us to Tim Hudak (opposition leader)
And even met Mayor Ford who in spite of the media circus outside his office came out to greet the students and sign some autographs ...and offer jube jubes to the kids.

But the learning didn't end with the destinations, I saw first hand my students learn to navigate the subway... and remind me on occasion we were the next stop. In spite of being a rather loud and excitable class they were incredibly kind and offered seats to others. They bonded with each other and even performed a small dance routine with some unlikely students blossoming and coming out of their shells.
Learning is all around us and we need to embrace it and look for those teachable moments. Everyone says I don't have patience to teach kids, but kids are willing to learn and are constantly searching for new knowledge, most adults are too busy thinking they know everything.

Politics aside, we are not the only teacher.