People Who Are Inspirational to Me
education
We need a pedagogy free from fear and focused on the magic of children's innate quest for information and understanding.
- Sugata Mitra
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside. Teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.
- Abraham Lincoln
Rita Pierson: Elementary school teacher and TEDTalk speaker, Rita really moved me in her talk "Every Kid Needs a Champion." She is a strong believer in encouragement, celebrating the small successes, being a positive role model, and building relationships. I am inspired by the refreshing way she approaches education, and I completely agree with her.
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Sugata Mitra: Another TEDTalk speaker, Sugata Mitra is an educational researcher responsible for the famous "Hole in the Wall" experiment. In this experiment, he and his team installed a computer with internet in the deepest slums of India, and watching children through a hidden camera, found they were able to teach other just by exploring it themselves and teaching each other. His experiment really demonstrates the potential to unlock a child's great curiosity, love of learning, and ability to peer teach. I think of him and his approaches when I create the student-centered and collaborative classroom.
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Malala Yousafzai: Everyone knows her as "the girl who was shot by the Taliban", but she wants to be be known as "the girl who fought for education." I was moved to tears upon reading this book, told from her words, detailing her life and her family and how she came to be so passionate for education. She has incredible strength and beauty, and although she is many 5 years younger than me, I look up to her for inspiration, in her fight for education for all. I am also inspired by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who is also a huge activist for education even before she was born, and a large influence in her actions and movement as well.
The Taliban could take our pens and books, but they couldn’t stop our minds from thinking. |
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Alfie Kohn: A social psychologist and an educational researcher that has done remarkable research on rewards and motivation. He has really changed the way I structure my class and motivate my students. He found the more you reward someone, their extrinsic motivation increases while their intrinsic motivation decreases. An experiment he once conducted (and reconducted on Oprah) showed that students who were rewarded 5$ for completing and evaluating puzzles lost interest in the puzzles after the task was completed, but students who were not rewarded anything continued to work on the puzzle after the task was over.
He is also really funny in lectures. |
My high school chemistry teacher and 3rd year practicum associate Mr. Gerry St. Aubin is another inspirational person to me. He was positive, humorous, and was dedicated to his students. He was always made time to ask questions and was one of the most approachable educators I have met. During placement, he was supportive and provided good feedback to me.
Another high school teacher who inspires me is Ms. Jaime Swaine, my associate math teacher for my most recent practicum during teacher's college. She was approachable, supportive, and provided great feedback. She also had an amazing dedication to not only her students, but also her staff, and all the student-teachers she supports.
Lastly, my math instructor at teacher's college, Ms. Barbara Canton, also inspires me. She was one of the most refreshing adults I have ever met in education, who isn't afraid to be honest and provide great advice for young aspiring teachers. She was a wealth of resources and amazing experiences. To top it off, she was absolutely hilarious.
I aspire to draw from all of these amazing individuals and become the best possible educator.
Another high school teacher who inspires me is Ms. Jaime Swaine, my associate math teacher for my most recent practicum during teacher's college. She was approachable, supportive, and provided great feedback. She also had an amazing dedication to not only her students, but also her staff, and all the student-teachers she supports.
Lastly, my math instructor at teacher's college, Ms. Barbara Canton, also inspires me. She was one of the most refreshing adults I have ever met in education, who isn't afraid to be honest and provide great advice for young aspiring teachers. She was a wealth of resources and amazing experiences. To top it off, she was absolutely hilarious.
I aspire to draw from all of these amazing individuals and become the best possible educator.
animal welfare
As you may know, some of the stereotyped behaviors exhibited by autistic children are also found in zoo animals who are raised in a barren environment.
- Temple Grandin
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Temple Grandin: A largely unknown and underrated animal behaviourist and researcher, her books have made me in awe of her struggles and how she overcame them, as well as the lengths she went to improve animal welfare. She has autism, but that never stopped her from getting a Masters and a PHD in animal behaviour and creating the best possible enriching environments for animal development and welfare. She also supports and speaks to help people understand autism.
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general
“To me, Fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.”
- Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift: Despite mixed reviews from the public, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is actually quite a role model to me, almost as if she was the older sister I never had. She worked very hard to get where she is right now, from age 10, recording demo tapes and sending them to record label after record label. She either wrote or co-wrote all her own lyrics, all about her own feelings and experiences. And no they are not all about past boyfriends! She taught herself to play guitar, until her fingers bled. Her work ethic and overcoming career struggles is what I always think about when I need to persevere.
Also, there is never a feeling that one can have that can't be captured through her music and lyrics. To see pictures and video of the time I saw her perform live in Toronto, click here. |
Craig Kielberger: This young man is one of the most underrated Canadian heroes. Being the face of children's activism everywhere, he co-founded with his brother the well-known Free The Children charity and the social enterprise Me to We/We Day. He is inspirational to me because despite being so young, he went against all odds and stood up for what he truly believed in. He is also the kind of leader who works with his followers, instead of just making decisions from the top, going on missions with them. Millions of enslaved children in India and other parts of Asia have been freed and have a better life thanks to him.
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