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350 sats \ 4 replies \ @cryotosensei 28 May \ on: Stacker Saloon
Ten reasons why I enjoy teaching at NorthLight
- E-assessments may be the norm in the future, but since they haven’t permeated much of the system, this means that I got to teach kids with severe dyslexia and/or ADHD and/or language disorders how to fend for themselves at the exam hall, where pen and paper is the dominant mode of assessment. Where they have to fight to stay alive in spite of their weak spelling, disjoined ideas and virtually non-existent punctuation.
I practise empathy; I put myself in the shoes of my students and imagine how they can best marshal their limited resources to put on a valiant figure. I conduct the Memory Palace before teaching any writing - they must lock the steps in their minds. I spoonfeed them with suitable collocations - their minds are empty like the desert and must be watered. I give them deliberate practices in class - they must apply the steps until they become second nature. And hopefully, their writing flows like a steady river.
Success doesn’t come for every student. Some of them will still fail despite my best efforts because old habits die hard. However, others will manage to pull almost everything together, showcasing writing that makes me gasp in disbelief.
Because beneath the spelling errors and run-on sentences lie students with unique individual voices. Who have tried their level best to reveal parts of themselves and be authentic? They make me like teaching writing more.
You're a wonderful teacher and human.
Teachers always put me down for bad grades and disattention. I would go back home sad and with resentment towards myself because I wasn't doing enough.
It's only recently that I discovered that I didn't fail my teachers, but the teachers failed me.
I have to thank you for being a teacher that wants to break this pattern.
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Thank you. I graciously accept your fine praise and seek to do better
I think the Boomer generation wasn’t necessarily informed about a lot of things. Hence, it is up to us Gen X and Y to be mindful not to perpetuate misguided practices.
Hugs to you!
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showcasing writing that makes me gasp in disbelief
Sorry, but I have to ask... how can you be sure it's not AI?
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They wrote it under exam conditions and we kept their phones first thing in the morning. I was also their invigilator and trust myself to keep cheaters at bay.
Also, because they wrote like this:
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