tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263322070880907502.post7804441675387283067..comments2022-06-02T04:57:17.421-07:00Comments on Sherry Hegstrom - Emerging Technologies in Education: Why do You Teach?shegstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391246158236935935noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263322070880907502.post-53641218982629141652013-04-20T18:43:05.489-07:002013-04-20T18:43:05.489-07:00You know, I thought answering this question would ...You know, I thought answering this question would be easy, but it's not. I know that I love teaching philosophy (higher ed) above anything else about being a philosopher, but articulating why is hard.<br /><br />Teaching got me through my PhD program. Several times I was going to quit, and I said to myself: okay, I'll just try being a TA and see if I like it. I did. Then: Okay, I'll just try teaching my own classes and see if I like it. I did. And I managed to finish the program.<br /><br />Then, I got two job offers after grad school: one that would have led me down the path of research, and one that led me down the path of focusing on teaching (a teaching job). I chose the latter, because I knew that's what I loved to do. And I moved from there into another teaching-focused position, where I expect I'll stay forever.<br /><br />But WHAT do I love about teaching? All the things you mention above, yes. And also some more selfish stuff: I love reading and thinking about and talking about philosophy, and I get to do that over and over, every day, with new people who have such great things to say about it. I love talking about this stuff with people for whom it is new, especially (first-year students), for some reason. I think it's because they really see it with fresh eyes, and this gives them such an interesting perspective on the ideas. They relate it more to their everyday lives, which is when I think philosophy is most interesting. I also learn a LOT by reading, re-reading, re-thinking about the same texts over and over. It's like being in university myself, all the time. I feel I'm really understanding things so much better by teaching them.<br /><br />I hate to just focus on the stuff I get out of teaching for myself like this, but you've done a great job of pointing out the other great things too. I, also, love watching students grow, struggle with things and then work them out on their own. Why is that so great? Because you know if they can become self-sufficient like that, they are going to do so much better in their lives. That's what I struggle with most as a teacher--not leading too much, but hanging back and letting them figure things out. That's hard to do.<br /><br />Thanks for providing a space and an excuse to reflect on why I teach!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04720081694830782816noreply@blogger.com