Exit Ticket 1

    From listening to Frank McCourt speak about his journey to becoming a teacher, as well as his experiences as a teacher, it seemed clear that he was a charismatic, well-spoken individual. Thinking back on some of the more memorable teachers of my childhood, it struck me how being charismatic really lends itself to the teaching profession. Not to say there isn't more to Frank McCourt (and the teachers of my past) than a cool accent and a handful of good stories, but I definitely do think these sorts of things are tools, or maybe gifts, that can help a teacher to connect with their students. What resonated most with me was Mr. McCourt's ideas about engaging with students and adapting his lessons to align with their attitudes. He spoke of adolescents and their angst and raging hormones or whatever, and in being sensitive to the independent spirit of these teenage folk, he seemed to have developed a "give-and-take" approach to teaching. I definitely believe that a positive student-teacher relationship does the most to promote learning, and Mr. McCourt's stories demonstrated to me that when an educator is also learning from their students, it facilitates this super valuable two-way engagement. Ideally, both students and teachers are engaging with each other's ideas, attitudes, and emotions, thereby challenging each other. I would think then, that part of Frank McCourt's success as an educator is the result of his willingness to learn from his students.