Lifelong Learners, Lifelong Teachers
Garry Jones
After leaving full-time work as a teacher and principal in the spring of 2013, I began teaching at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.
As a teacher and principal, I was very eager. I enjoyed supporting student teachers in my schools, I valued reading the books and articles about teaching, and I was the teacher who attended all the workshops and conferences( when we had workshops, back in the day). I call myself a lifelong learner, but also a lifelong teacher. I simply love teaching.
I’ m at the university because I want to support pre-service teachers so that one day, they will be given the key to their own classroom, and the cycle will repeat. I share my experiences, answer their questions from real experience( not just quotes from articles), offer feedback when they are student teaching, read resumes and discuss interview questions, and endeavour to connect theory and practice.
In a recent research project, I sought to determine why others like me dedicate their time to teaching the next generation of teachers. One participant said,“ I’ m passionate about mentoring young teachers; I bring my wealth of knowledge in terms of theory, but also my wealth of experience in the classroom. You can’ t beat thirty-two years in the classroom; all the things that I’ ve been through and seen, kindergarten to Grade 9, that’ s what I bring to the students.” I couldn’ t agree more.
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