Changes

Prevention of  censorship - Most important tool of education. A society that fears intelligence, historically, will not be successful. We have to encourage our kids to learn whether we deem the subject "acceptable" or not.

Mindfulness - Useful in more than just school. Useful in life. WIth mindfulness mastered, people are able to function in high and low pressure situations. If we want a truly educated society, we must be able to operate in difficult scenarios, and peace of mind will enforce that.

Grit - Used to persevere in school, and in everything else. If one contains grit, then they will continue to work no matter the circumstance. It is easy to give up, but if we raise our children with grit, giving up will not be an option, and success will, and must emerge.

Critical thinking - Necessary for success in life. Coupled with grit and mindfulness, critical thinking can be a weapon. If one has the ability to see a situation or problem, accept that problem, think through that problem and discover a way to solve it, then success will be achieved, and that is the ultimate goal of education.

Creative arts - Improve cognitive abilities, but not as important as the others. Arts can greatly enhance one's mind, but until one has been released of the bonds of censorship, has mastered mindfulness, has retained a legitimate amount of grit, and is able to think critically, use of the creative arts will (on most) not be as effective as it could be. I believe creative arts could be a great tool, but only (once again, in most cases) if used after the others.

Comparing Teachers Final Draft

            There is no “correct” definition of a good teacher. It is subjective to opinion. One student may find a teacher fantastic while another despises them. Different teachers will affect different students, but a great teacher knows how to affect as many as possible. To teach is one thing, to have someone learn from your teaching is entirely different. A student may choose not to learn, but if a teacher gives them the chance, half of the battle is over. A good teacher does more than just instruct. Whether a role model, a coach, a friend, a counselor, a good teacher is someone who is more than just a teacher to their students. The first teacher that I will be writing about is my former eighth grade science teacher: Mr. Peters. I remember his class vividly because it was where I discovered my love for science. I remember having his class with my friend Casey, and looking forward to it every day. Mr. Peters connected with his students, made them laugh, and treated them like adults (at least those who earned it), which is why he is one of my favorite teachers. The other teacher that I will be writing about is my former freshmen year math teacher: Mr. Hale. I won an Outstanding Math Achievement award in his class, and had fun while doing so. Mr. Hale team-taught with his counterpart, and long time friend: Mr. McCorkle. He would play off him and use jokes and stories to teach us math without us even realizing it. Mr. Hale genuinely cared about his students’ lives outside of class. He was constantly involved and in the know with things going on in his students’ lives. Both these teachers are men I look up to. Mr. Peters and Mr. Hale are both positive examples of good teaching with very different styles. While many teachers instruct well, they were more than just teachers to me.

            Mr. Peters always connected with his students. He would often engage in conversations with students about topics other than science and form a bond with them.  He would share more than knowledge with us. Laughs, stories, anecdotes, sarcastic comments good heartedly directed at one student for the enjoyment of the others. Mr. Peters always included how science was being used in the real world so that we felt ur studies weren’t pointless. It’s a big deal when middle school students look forward to going to a class, and it got to the point where we would be lined up outside his door before he even got there. Towards the end of the year, there was a Facebook page created by some of us called Mr. Peters is the Best Teacher Ever. Mr. Peters was a good teacher, but to some of us, he was also a good friend. Aside from simply connecting with his students, Mr. Peters made his class enjoyable. His class was stress relieving, not stress-creating. We would leave his class in a good mood, and often considering the scientific principles we learned about that day. I recollect several occasions on which some of my friends and I would request odd jobs from him in an attempt to avoid our next class and stay in his. Having a connection to even a single teacher can make a world of difference to a student.

            One thing many middle school teachers lack that Mr. Peters had was a strong knowledge of his subject. We could randomly ask him about a topic, and he would be able to tell us about it, and how it affected the world today. Now, we did like him enough and were ignorant enough that we probably would have believed whatever he told us, but the man knew his stuff. As a newfound science geek, I loved his class. However, even those who were more inclined to the liberal arts such as English and history always enjoyed his class. I never met anyone who didn’t. Mr. Peters knew how to get his students interested in learning about science, and now working towards my Associates of Science, I have him to thank.

            Mr. Hale went far out of his way to get to know his students on a deeper level. He would talk to them about what they were involved in, he would meet their parents, and give almost all of them nicknames. Whether he remembers those nicknames or not, I don’t know. Mine ranged from G-Dub and G-Money to Garrett the Hit Man (it’s ironic because he can’t walk) Walker when I was on crutches. Mr. Hale used an interesting technique to teach his students math. Every day at the beginning of class, either him or McCorkle would tell the class a story. To this day, I don’t know how many of their stories were true, but it took me longer than I like to admit to realize that they all somehow incorporated math in to them. For a group of freshmen, newbies in high school, it was a great way to teach us.

            I can truthfully say that I have never seen a person so enthusiastic about learning every day of the week. It was as if he drank three cups of coffee before every class period. His energy never failed! Hale knew how to charm the class. Many of us grew to see him as a friend as well as a teacher. If asked about it, I’m sure he’d deny it, but without trying he charmed the girls quite a bit too. I’ve really never seen a group of teenage females so focused in a class. His teaching style was so intriguing that even students who hated math with a deep passion enjoyed his class. I used to love to go to the front of the classroom to solve difficult equations with ease. It made me feel like a genius. Towards the end of the year, ten students per period were awarded the Outstanding Math Achievement award. While handing out the awards, Hale took to announcing the winners as a football announcer would. Loud and enthusiastic, he didn’t seem to have a shy bone in his body.

            While Mr. Peters and Mr. Hale were impeccably different teachers, they had two things in common: students enjoyed their time with them, and they learned. Students felt accepted opposed to pressured. Both of these teachers did whatever it took to help a student, and that’s what a true teacher does. They treated different students differently, they worked around them, and they put the student before themselves. I have fond memories of these teachers to this day, and if I were to ever go into teaching, I would model myself after them.

Futhur Drafting Paper #2

Teacher 1: Mr. Peters was a positive example of good teaching.

Teacher 2: Mr. Hale was also a positive example of good teaching.

-          “Best” two teachers in very different ways

While many teachers instruct well, these teachers were more than just instructors to me.

Mr. Peters was a good teacher because he connected with students. He would often engage in conversations with students about things outside of science and form a connection with them. Mr. Peters connected so well to his students that at one point there was a Facebook page named Mr. Peters is the Best Teacher Ever. When in class, Mr. Peters would talk to us about things happening in science around the world so that we felt what we were studying wasn’t pointless.

Aside from simply connecting with his students, Mr. Peters was a great teacher because he was enjoyable. Students didn’t walk into fourth period science stressed. They came and left in a good mood because of the atmosphere in his classroom. I remember on several occasions my friend Casey and I would ask him for odd jobs to do hoping we could get out of our fifth period and stay and hangout with him. While teaching science, Mr. Peters would casually talk with his class as well. I remember a strict rivalry forming between him and a student because Mr. Peters was a Chicago Bears fan, and the student was a fan of the Seahawks.

One thing Mr. Peters had that some middle school teachers like was a strong knowledge of his subject. We could ask him about near any topic in science and he could talk about it. Now we liked him so much that we probably would have believed anything he told us, but looking back now, the man knows his stuff. As a science geek, I loved his class. However I never met anyone who didn’t whether they enjoyed the subject or not. I remember Mr. Peters once letting us watch a show called Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. I still watch it to this day!

Mr. Hale was a good teacher because he cared about his students. I remember once in Freshman year, a girl in my class one a major award for a charity she started. Mr. Hale took twenty minutes out of class to tell us what she had done, and how amazing it was. One thing still true to this day is, you will always see Mr. Hale on the sidelines of football games. He works as a security guard but spends most of his time cheering. Not even just for the team, but for individual students. He even knows their jersey numbers!  

In Class 11/5/13

    When I was fourteen years old and a newbie in high school, I walked into my fifth period Algebra class in the conjoined classroom on the east side of the Freshman building at North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, Washington. In the conjoined class room were sixty seats, unlike the twenty some seats seen in most high school classrooms. I used to  love going to the front of the class to solve difficult equations with ease in front of the rest of the students. Even when I was on crutches! It made me feel like a genius.

        Mr. Hale team taught with his co-worker and long time friend Mr. McCorkle. Mr. McCorkle was also a good guy and enjoyable teacher, but didn't leave as lasting of an affect on me as Mr. Hale. Hale went far out of his way to get to know his students. He would learn what they were involved in, he would meet their parents, and for many give nicknames. Whether he remembers those nicknames or not, I don't know. Mine ranged from G-Dub and G-Money to "Garrett the Hit-man it's Ironic Because he Can't Walk Walker" when I was on crutches. Mr. Hale used an interesting technique to teach math to his students. He would begin every lecture with a story that somehow incorporated a math formula. To this day, I don't know how many of the stories were true, but it took my longer than I like to admit to realize they were hiding math in them. I can honestly say that I have never seen a teacher so enthusiastic about teaching every day of the week. It was like he drank three cups of coffee before every class period. Whether rain or shine, morning or afternoon, his energy never faltered. Mr. Hale knew how to charm the class. He made us laugh, and made many of us see him as a friend as well as a teacher. If he were asked about it, I'm sure he'd deny it, but without trying he charmed the girls in the class quite a bit too. I've really never seen a group of teenage females so focused in a math class. His teaching style was so intriguing that even the students who hated, or struggled with math enjoyed and looked forward to his class. I remember ten students receiving Outstanding Math Achievement awards at the end of the year (me being one of them). And while awarding them their certificates in class, Mr. Hale took to announcing them as an announcer would at a football game. Loud and enthusiastic he didn't seem to have a shy bone in his body.

Intro Paragraph and Thesis

            There is no “correct” definition of a good teacher. It is subjective to opinion. One student may find a teacher fantastic while another despises them. Different teachers will affect different students, but a great teacher knows how to affect as many as possible. To teach is one thing, to have someone learn from your teaching is entirely another. A student may choose not to learn, but if a teacher gives them the chance, half the battle is won. A good teacher does more than just instruct. Whether a role model, a coach, a friend, a counselor, a good teacher is more than simply someone who teaches.

Teachers

            Hello to all my viewers. I am starting my second paper for English 101, and I will be comparing two of my favorite teachers, and the differences in how they taught. The first teacher I will be writing about was my eighth grade science teacher; Mr. Peters. I remember his class vividly because that was where I realized my love for science. I remember having that class with my friend Casey, and looking forward to it every day. Mr. Peters connected with his students, made them laugh, and treated them like adults, which is why he is one of my favorite teachers.

            The other teacher I will be writing about is my freshmen year math teacher; Mr. Hale. I won an Outstanding Math Achievement Award in his class, and had a good time while doing so. Mr. Hale team-taught with his counterpart Mr. McCorkle. He would play off him and use jokes and stories to teach us math without us even realizing it. Mr. Hale genuinely cared about his students and their lives outside of class. He was constantly involved and in-the-know with things going on in students lives such as sports, charities etc. Both these teachers are men I look up to. Until next time; thanks for reading. -Garrett