I was going to start this post with the line, “I hate to toot my own horn but…” instead I decided to start it with, “To toot my own horn…” Sometimes, the affects of our work comes back in ways we could never imagine, and it is in these waves that we can feel reassured and confident that we are on the right track!
I received the following emails from a woman I used to wrok with at my former school. The same school from which I was forced to resign:
Hey Jabiz!
I am teaching a new elective this year, called “Be the Change.” I recently asked students to respond to the Wiki prompt: Who inspires you, and why? This was the response from (insert name of student), currently in 8th grade:
I am going to have to go with my 3rd quarter 7th grade social studies/ language arts teacher, Mr. Raisdana. Mr. Raisdana was an amazing teacher. He really made us think about how we were learning. He taught us not the skills to join the workforce of today, but the skills needed to be a learner so we can learn to be the workforce of tomorrow however different they may be. He helped us create networks of learners through blogging. He was an activist, a supporter of global peace. Sadly, he was fired. I do not want to bring into this place any discussion of whether or not he was fired justly but I will say that I miss him. We lost a creative teacher who helped make learning fun. (After all, how many teachers do you know who keep a bowl of dried fruit on their desk for everyone to enjoy?) He encouraged us to use our brains to a fuller extent, for a project on ancient Rome, a parody of the song Beautiful Girl is acceptable. And he keeps working, even with a new full time teaching position, on is own learners network. I hope I can learn from him and am able to adopt some of his qualities in my self.
This is why I teach. Period. To get through to kids. To get them to think for themselves and question the world around them. I am sharing this because I am proud of the work I do and felt the need to spread the joy!
Trying to break into a high school English department with no experience is hard work. Make that department IB, and you might as well be trying to teach a PhD course on Proust. I understand that the English department is one of the most important components of a school, as it sets the backdrop for literacy, which let’s face, determines success for most students in History, Science, and even Maths. I also try to be a realist and see it from the director or principal’s point of view that schools get good results working the way they do. Good IB results are what keep the wheels turning academically and financially. Taking someone new is a risk, they are looking for someone to fit and someone who will work within the system.
It seems, however, that many schools demand teachers with experience over talent, stability over innovation. I would like to think that, as educators, we would want the most energetic, dynamic, and passionate people we could find to teach our children. The following clip illustrates the type of classroom dynamic I feel is vital to motivate young people, not just to be successful IB students, but to be enthusiastic learners.
This here is a battle, a war and the casualties could be your hearts and souls.
In my class you will think for yourselves again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anyone tells you words and ideas can change the world.
Not only do I bring this type of enthusiasm to the subject which I teach, but coupled with my knowledge of new media, technology, and youth culture, my expertise and passion make me an ideal candidate, even without the formal experience. My point is not to disparage the system or the teachers working within it. I even wrote a post not too long ago, saying that maybe I need to traditionalize my approach a bit. I am here to discuss why I think it would behoove any administrator to take a “risk” and hire someone with no formal IB or even HS experience- someone like me! I put risk in quotes because I am after all an Ivy League educated former Peace Corps volunteer with a passion for literature, service learning, and inquiry-based learning. Did I mention I hold a second degree in Creative Writing, have self-published a book of poetry, and spend every free second I have devouring books? I am an innovative and experienced educator who has spent the last tens years carefully grooming a career that spans K-12, ESL, English, Journalism, Drama, and Social Studies on three continents!
I was meant to teach IB English because I truly believe in the IB values and I love literature. I am a quick and able learner, and I have proven myself in situation after situation.
IB’s mission statement states that IB:
aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
What does this have to do with subject mastery or experience? Just because I have never taught a high school or IB class does not mean that I am not experienced enough to teach these traits. I think after reading my philosophy and looking at some of my work, anyone can see that I am more than able to promulgate the IB values. The mission statement goes on to say:
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Differences are highlighted in the mission statement! I think it is beneficial for schools to assemble a diverse IB team at any school. While teachers with experience bring a stability that administrators and parents find comforting, the spirit of IB demands schools take risks and diversify their potential departmental members.
Administrators should not only be looking for teachers who have been teaching the same list of novels, in the same manner for twenty years; they should be looking for teachers who will teach students how to:
ask challenging questions
learn how to learn
develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture
develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures.
I ask any potential employer reading this post to know that I am such a person. To prove that I am ready to make my move into high school in general and IB in particular, I attended the level one training session this summer at the UWC in New Mexico through my own initiative and expense. I wanted a firm understanding of the IB philosophy, values, and assessments. I assure you I am ready to enter any department and get started encouraging students to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
IB and high school are ultimately about building relationships with students and fostering a connection with their own learning. Here is another clip which I think sums up my point well. Thank you for your consideration.
To see examples of some of my work click here and to read more on my philosophy read here.
If you are an administrator and have been sent here after having looked at my résumé and reading my cover letter, please get started by reading the tabs above labeled Philosophy and Recruiting 2.0.
