The passage selected by Scott from Palmer hits a chord that we have mentioned as a class several times. In my eyes, this passage speaks to the vulnerability that we open ourselves up to as teachers. But vulnerability does not stop there. The moment a student enters into the classroom(whether the student is ours or is ourself), they/we are vulnerable to the activities of the environment. The student is open and exposed to the potential of judgement, prejudice, frustration, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, excitement, eagerness, happiness, joy, and love. The best teachers are the ones that recognize the vast array emotions and experiences that their classroom presents everyone, but they manipulate that space to be of caring and fostering so that a family is formed.
The greatest example of a teacher who exhibited Palmer’s description of a weaver was my 10th and 11th grade chemistry teacher, Mrs.Fancher. Mrs. Fancher opened up her classroom to us and welcomed us all into the incredible world of science. This was the first specific-content science class that I took, and I was unsure(and fearful) of what to expect.
Rather than overwhelm the class with information, she structured the lessons to grab our uncertainties by the horns and take them for a ride. Over time, my fears and uncertainties became something that excited me and drove me to explore chemistry further. I wasn’t afraid of not knowing. I was excited about the potential to learn more.
Along with opening up doors for us to explore, Mrs. Fancher structured the class to be full of group work and class discussion. Every week, we would do at least 2 mini labs and 1 large group exercise. We built rockets, started fires with batteries and copper wire, threw copper chloride into fires to make blue flames, and set off the fire alarm on several occasions. As a class, we laughed, stressed, studied, argued, and cared for each other. She built us into a family that thrived, and I am hoping to be able to do that with my future students.