Don’t Panic, activate the Improbability Drive.
My most influential teacher throughout my K-12 experience, was my 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Woode. She was a fantastic teacher as far as the standards of the time were concerned; fluent in the subjects she taught, punctual, wise, strict but fair, level headed, etc. This was not unique, at this time I had learned from several educators who fit that description, but there was something different about Mrs. Woode. The reason that she stood out so clearly, is that she was the first teacher I had who I felt was able to recognise the fact that I was a much different type of learner than many in my class. She took the time to identify, and accommodate my environmental and conversational needs, and for the first time in my educational journey I can remember distinguishing between an adult who was friendly, and someone who I greatly respected as an educator. Someone I related to, who I felt understood me.
It took me until much later in my education before I solidified the words and thoughts surrounding why this experience impacted me the way it did. I realised that what really spoke to me about Mrs. Wood was her ability to acknowledge and accommodate a variety of learning types in her classroom. This allowed me to directly observe the difference in learning outcomes created by a relationship between educator and student with two distinct controls: one where students were being taught as if they were “X” number of clones of the same One, and another where students were instructed and then educated based on their individual strengths.
Observational opportunities like this, in hindsight, I feel have greatly enriched my motivation to pursue a career in education which not only allows me to teach in a relatable way which reaches learners of all types, but also carries through to different circles within the educational community. I believe this skill of interpreting and relating to the learning type of the individual is paramount in addressing trauma, and alleviating the damage it has caused. I will forever be grateful to the educators, and peers I have shared my educational journey with who have enriched and informed my perspective on “fitting-in,” and the relationship between relatability, trauma, and healing.
Thank you.