New Information from Young Educators

This Monday, our class had the opportunity to talk to three new educators in the field. Upon their introductions, I realized that there was something very... homogeneous about them. All three of them grew up in North-east Iowa. All three of them went to college at Luther. All three of them went to work right here in Decorah. I was happy for the chance to talk to people in the field, but I was hoping for a selection with a more diverse background at the very least. At any rate, I still received extremely useful information and made some observations that both surprised me and reassured me.

Most of our discussion centered around the qualms of the modern educator. Technology is a wonderful tool to employ in the classroom, but how much is too much? All three of the educators that we talked to cited several instances when technology has been more of a hassle than help. In today's world, it is completely normal for a junior high or even middle school student to own a cell phone or a laptop. This overexposure to technology is causing students to lose touch to what were essential experiences to our generation (I realize the irony that I just expressed this opinion in an internet blog, and I too am becoming a product of this trend). One general consensus was that when kids go outside now, they have no idea what to do. The experience of being outside is unrewarding for them. With all the possibilities available to young children now, why would you go outside and freeze yourself for twenty minutes when you could slay goblins in World of Warcraft or text a joke to your friends? The burden here, at it's very base, is on the parents. Technology is a tool, not a crutch. It is helpful, but not necessary. Parents need to instill this in kids at a very young age if a healthy balance between real life and technology will ever occur.

Something that I found very intriguing about these teachers was their varying demeanor. The personalities of these three people were so different from each other, ranging from 'strictly professional' to the special education teacher and coach who proclaimed that during his years at Luther he was "All American at Roscoe's" (Roscoe's is Decorah's local dive, almost exclusive to the college student crowd). In all of our textbooks, we get portraits of what the 'perfect teacher' is like, right down to the polished apple on the desk. It is really nerve wracking to think sometimes that maybe you won't make the cut, that maybe you can't be that perfect educator. It was refreshing to see three very people who behave very differently in the classroom who were all successful, responsible, and most importantly, hired.

Seeing these real people stand in front of me was a well needed wake up call. There are some days of school that drag on. Sometimes in classes, I catch myself asking why I will need to know the material. The fine educators that were kind enough to talk to the class testified to the fact that the program here at Luther is really one of the finest. There are so many hoops to jump through here, it is a very daunting task only for the brave. Knowing that it can be done, that success is more likely than not, and that Luther is indeed giving me real and useful tools I will need is incredible, and most of all, this was the most important piece of information I received from our panel of teachers.