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Why Do I Teach? |
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Dick Grover has been the Director of the Georgia K12 Learn and Serve program for four years and in 2000 became Director of Learn and Serve at KSU, where he also serves as an Associate Professor of Learning Support. He was recently elected to a two-year term on the Executive Board of SEANet, (State Educational Agency Network) the national association of state directors of service-learning and appointed by the Governor to the Georgia Commission on Service in Volunteerism.
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Why
do I teach? What is in my mind for my students? Those are questions
most of us have asked ourselves. And if we haven’t asked those questions
lately, the need for a teaching philosophy as part of the new evaluation
process provides a fresh opportunity to reflect. I teach because I want
to make a difference in the lives of my students, and through them,
make the world a little better. Part of that is reaching students’ heads
- imparting knowledge and a love for learning. Part of that is reaching
students’ hands - to teach them that the knowledge is real and useful
in their everyday lives. But, for me, the most important part is reaching
students’ hearts - to give them a compass to guide their application
of knowledge, to help them pursue worthwhile goals, to make their lives
meaningful. That’s a tall order, an awesome responsibility. How can
I accomplish all three goals in just 16 weeks? For me, the answer is
service learning. What does service learning do that traditional teaching
methods cannot do? How is service learning different from internships,
work study or volunteerism? Is service learning worth the extra work?
What’s in it for me; for my students; for the community? Is the value
added worth the extra work? How do I include service learning in my
already full curriculum; in my already full days? How can the Learn
and Serve Center help me? These are just some of the questions we will
be addressing in the coming months and years. Please join us. Be a part
of the discussion. The food is free, the conversation enriching and
the opportunities for yourself, the community and your students are
too good to miss. |
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