I currently observe an AP US history teacher that at my local high school as part of my Master of Arts In Teaching curriculum. He teaches with enthusiasm, keeps the students engaged for 90+ minutes and has the ability to demand students’ respect.  How many teachers can say that they do this – successfully?  

My teacher is one of those teachers who can influence a student’s life permanently and he is the type of teacher that you would invite to your wedding because he had such a profound effect on you in the classroom.  I feel that he will become the standard of how to teach in the classroom.  He knows how to understand the student, he empathizes with the student and, at the same time, pushes the student to become better academically.  

Since he teaches mostly honor courses, he knows that he must set a high standard for each student.  (Although even if he was teaching a regular course, I think that he would set a high standard too – I don’t think that it matters which course he is teaching.)  He treats all of the students equally and always gives compliments and encouragement.  The teacher definitely sets an expectation of hard work while constantly stimulating the students’ minds and probing for in-depth questions and answers.  He always goes the “extra mile” for his students and he is definitely my standard for my future classroom!

I wanted to write about a recent concept that I have learned in my Human Differences course while studying for my master of arts in teaching. I really liked learning about the “shipwreck”, a concept in regards to a learner’s identity.  When something devastating occurs in one’s life (in the school arena) it can be demoralizing.  This can include being diagnosed with a learning disability or learning that one’s reading level does not correspond to the grade level. At this point, the learner’s identity has “shipwrecked”  and the student has a choice: do I get back up or do I stay down?

The concept of the “shipwreck” assumes that the students gets back up and is amazed at what he/she can do and how he/she can progress even through a trial such as this.  The learner has had a crisis in his/her life, but has produced a better result in the end than what could have been before.  I really enjoy this concept because I can apply this to my own life.  I had/have trials in which I have been “shipwrecked” or stranded.  Although difficult, I have somehow managed to pick myself up and the pieces around me to create an even finer production than before.  If I can do it, you can do it!

As part of the USC Rossier School of Education’s Centennial year activities, Dean Karen Symms Gallagher and Alumnae Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana (PhD ‘95), President Obama’s Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, are hosting “A Conversation About Education” in Washington D.C.

USC alumni and MAT@USC students will participate in this informal discussion about recent education reform, programs and goals on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at the USC Washington, D.C. Center.

Please contact our admissions team for details.