Amy Gropper - Why I Teach
SHOW NOTES
2:30 – second-career educator and an effective, thoughtful, and creative teacher
3:30 – every never you utter in life becomes your roadmap
3:45 – I will never be a teacher. I hate school
4:00 – perhaps not the greatest horse rider but a great teacher of horse riding
5:00 – going back to school to become a teacher
5:15 – David as Amy’s first assistant principal
5:30 – engage and intrigue students
5:45 – first experiences in higher ed
6:10 – tech ed in the private sector
6:50 – coordinator of field placement – working with student teachers
7:05 – HOW to teach is the overarching theme and key component of the teaching and learning process
8:15 – Amy gave names to the PCs in her classroom
9:20 – don’t use technology gratuitously – have a rationale
10:05 – technology can enhance collaboration
10:30 – ask, “How will technology enhance learning?”
10:45 – Answer Garden, word clouds, discussions and connections between what surfaces via tech and human interaction and “wondering”
12:55 – you must establish structure, boundaries, and routines
13:05 – you must get to know your kids (your students, your learners)
13:35 – respectful dialogue is a precursor to learning
14:15 – what is a professional boundary?
15:05 – norms AND non-negotiables
16:00 – David’s interaction with students In School Suspension
17:50 – breaking convention for learner benefit
18:15 – am I enjoying what I am doing right now?
18:45 – if you are not connecting with your students, figure out why and work on adjusting what needs to change
19:35 – the "endless bulletin board”
19:55 – Think Tank and the Issue Fish
21:10 – an idea, borne out of panic
21:45 – be willing to dive in and try something – if it doesn’t work, try something else
22:00 – student work as an opportunity for affirmation
23:45 – what teacher-leadership looks like
24:20 – be a leader with those you lead
25:00 – intentional boundaries – individual and contextual, but consistent
25:15 – don’t take yourself too seriously – don’t feel sorry for your own failures
26:05 – an orchid named Spike
27:00 – everything good I learned about education, I learned in the barn
27:30 – first horse at age eight, competition, and lessons about good riding
27:45 – listening, waiting, life is not all about me
29:30 – grateful for the experiences I have had
30:05 – teaching or learning – which is more important?
30:15 – if we stop learning, we’ve given up
31:00 – find what happened good today
31:35 – learning and courage drive change
31:50 – be brave enough to learn something new or that’s different from what you expect
32:25 – I’ve had an amazing life (and I did want to serve in the military), but I really wouldn’t change anything
33:45 – why teach? To help people discover who they are, to facilitate a deeper level of understanding
34:45 – not to tell them what to think, but to teach students about their potential as thinkers
35:15 – working with professors on and retrieval practice and backward planning – adding pedagogy skill sets (the teaching craft) to content expertise
36:20 – an opportunity to positively impact future teachers
37:00 – I would not be the person I am today without my father (whose undergone an incredible transformation in his life), and Dr. Beverly Armento at Georgia State University (a mentor and amazing educator)
Links and other show details:
Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats
Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.
