"It's okay to not be the expert in the room-if you're not the expert." -Amber Chandler
Teachers are in charge, right? it's their classroom and it's their rules. But, maybe the kids know more than them sometimes, and they shouldn't be afraid to look dumb. Mrs. So and So may be the expert on the body, and she could be the most incredible biology teacher ever. But, she's an adult, and she may have a tough time with all of the new technology.
It's easy for a teacher to say, "oh, I don't need to implement that in my classroom. What I am doing works just fine."Yea, it's FINE. But, it's not what the students are most interested in. Their whole lives have been filled with technology. From the day they were born they could probably hold an iPad. As a teacher, it's your job to engage the students. When students are engaged they learn the most. Technology is what they know best, so it's time to use it.
This might be really hard for some teachers to wrap their heads around. Even my own mom, who is 49, shies away from using technology in her classroom. Just last week she was telling me how she was having students use google classroom, and I was so proud of her. She really did not seem too excited about it. She had to call the IT guy because she couldn't figure something out, so it became a lot of work.
But, she did it. Teachers have to be willing to put in this work to connect with their students. Sometimes it's okay to ask a student, "Wait, what is that thing you call snapchat. How does it work??"To look dumb for those 30 seconds is worth the knowledge you will gain to better relate to your students. But, people are AFRAID. Yes, afraid.
It's humbling when a 50 year old asks a 13 year old student how something works. We can all learn things from each other, if only we're willing to be wrong. I know I do this myself. I won't answer a question because I don't want to be wrong and look dumb. Although, if I do end up answering the question and my answer is wrong, nothing ever happens. I just get to learn the right answer. Which is kind of the point of school.
We all need to get out of this thought process and enter one where it's okay to be wrong. If you don't understand something, ASK. Even if you're an adult and you have to pose a question about snapchat to your entire 7th grade class of 25 kids. ASK all of them. Someone will be happy to explain. And remember, it's okay to be humbled by a 13 year old. Don't be afraid of them. They're really smart, and I know that can be intimidating.
Comments