Sept 7 Exit Slip 'Teacher Man' and teacher inquiry: Frank McCourt

Becoming a teacher is a learning process for the teacher as well. The teacher can learn through their teachings and interactions between the students. Frank McCourt gave very interesting ideas on approaches to teaching as well as his own personal experiences. One can either be more isolated between the students to keep that professional authority more conspicuous, or they can be more interactive/intimate about certain things. Personally I like to be friendly with students, but to keep that boundary in the classroom is a task to be dealt with in case we go off topic. Being familiar with the students' interests also helps with forming a congenial bond. As a teacher, a unique trait often creates a bridge that can allow the students to better connect with them, such as Frank's Irish accent, since it arouses curiosity. Discussions are important on things outside of the classroom (like hobbies), but one cannot expose too much right off the bat. It needs to be done slowly and vigilantly, or else it can't be taken aback. One interesting point from today's discussion was that it is very difficult to set professionalism to a higher standard. First impressions are often embedded into people's minds, so it's good to not act too close initially, or else trying to use teaching authority for correction wouldn't come out as welcoming.