On Becoming a Teacher

109 Pages·2013·0.44 MB·English

by  Kearney, Edmund M

On Becoming a Teacher

On Becoming a Teacher
Edmund M. Kearney
Department of Psychology, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, USA
A C.I.P. record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-94-6209-390-4 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-94-6209-391-1 (hardback)
ISBN: 978-94-6209-392-8 (e-book)
Published by: Sense Publishers,
P.O. Box 21858,
3001 AW Rotterdam,
The Netherlands
https://www.sensepublishers.com/
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved © 2013 Sense Publishers
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the
exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and
executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
This book is dedicated to the many master teachers I have had the good fortune of
studying. I am sure there were many more I have inadvertently left off of the list, but
these few deserve special mention:
Jeanne Day
Kathleen Disselhorst
Sr. Florence Marie Gerdes
Stanley Hauerwas
Katherine Helm
Edmund W. Kearney
Mary Jane Kearney
Eugene Kennedy
Ray Kizelevicus
Fr. Mark Link
Leslie Martin
Mark McDaniel
P.J. O’Mara
Mike Pressley
Jill Reich
Alan Rosenwald
Michael Schulein
Roger Wiers
John Zeunik
“My dear, haven’t you realized that it is you they are studying most?”
Mary Jane Kearney’s mentor, and then
Mary Jane Kearney to every educator she mentored.
“It is your privilege to be employed in teaching.”
St. John Baptiste de La Salle
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction xi
Part I Beginning the Journey
1. Choosing Wisely: Your Journey Begins with a Single Choice 3
2. Understanding Where You Came From: Appreciating
Your Apprenticeship 5
Part II Being a Teacher
3. Being Authentic 11
4. Being Passionate 15
5. Being Zealous 19
6. Being Greedy 23
7. Being More than Tolerant: Celebrating Differences 27
Part III Classroom Culture
8. Earning Respect 33
9. Establishing Rules 37
10. Appreciating Group Processes and Dynamics 41
11. Creating a Culture of Inquiry 45
Part IV Knowing Your Students
12. Getting to Know You… 51
13. Appreciating Learning Styles 55
14. Understanding Standardized Tests 59
15. Avoiding Gender, and Other, Biases in the Classroom 63
16. Dealing With Disabilities 67
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part V Teaching
17. Planning Lessons: Know Your Top Three 73
18. Teaching to Mastery 77
19. Using Technology 81
20. Assessing Learning 85
Part VI Improving Your Craft
21. Studying Successful Teachers 93
22. Staying Current 97
23. Welcoming Feedback I: Stakeholders 101
24. Welcoming Feedback II: Managing the Process 105
Part VII Conclusions
25. Following the Golden Rule (of Teaching) 111
26. Final Words 113
References 115
Index 117
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the support and suggestions of my
wife, Cristine. Thanks for doing more than just tolerating my “figaries.”
A special thanks to Dr. Jeanette Mines, Academic Associate to the Provost and
former Dean, College of Education, Lewis University for her review and comments
on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Thanks to Nancy Hanley and Christine Morrow for their optimistic attitude and
clerical support of this project.
Sincere thanks to Robert Kearney for his advice, support, and suggestions
regarding this project. We all aspire to write as well as you.
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