Commentary?
I'm applying to teach at my old high school for the summer and I've to write this essay about why I wanna be there. So here's what I've got. I want to send it out on Tuesday so if you all have any improvements to suggest - I'd love to hear 'em! And errrrrr, Harkness is just the method of education that's in the high school that's pretty much all about students discussing things and teachers occasionally piping in with questions. Thanks!!
Her eyes narrowed for a few seconds before she raised her hand and asked, “Do you think we’re too young to have sex?” I could see her, a bit confused and worried about the question, scared that my answer might contradict her opinion and thus make her somehow wrong. “I think that you should be able to decide when you are ready to have sex on your own terms and I hope that you’ll be able to make an informed and healthy decision for yourself when you do.” That was after all why I was at LCC talking with high school students about sex: to inform them of the choices they have before them and the things they might want to consider before engaging in sexual activity. I was there as part of an outreach project called Sense of Head and Hands, a non-profit organization that deals with youth empowerment and support in Montreal. The Sense project deals specifically with sexual education in local Montreal high schools. The volunteers go into schools to lead workshops and discussions about sexual health, decision making, and healthy relationships.
Going into schools as an educator, I attempted to channel the wonderful teachers who have inspired and supported me throughout my high school experience. In my four years at Exeter, I had teachers who consistently valued my opinion and experiences, challenged me to grow, and trusted me to make my own decisions. I graduate knowing that my opinion was of as much value as anyone else’s. These experiences made me a wiser and more responsible person. I wanted the students in these workshops to feel the same way. So I went into schools with all the Harkness within me. I asked the students questions, I inquired about their beliefs, I showed them the options they have before them, and I loved every minute of it. Hearing some opinions from the students was surprising. Being in the classroom and thinking of the questions I needed to ask the students was challenging, but the reward of seeing them reconsider a prejudice or realize something about themselves was well worth the challenge.
As an educational system, Harkness has so far been the best I have seen. Teachers around me are trying to incorporate group discussion and peer educating into their classrooms because it works better than traditional lecturing. People are beginning to understand that students are more apt to listen, respect, and learn from each other than from someone who has some supposed superiority over them. I want to join this educational renaissance. I want to inspire the students around me to think, discuss, and grow. I would like to challenge youth to learn and succeed above expectations. Most importantly, I would like to challenge myself to teach well and hopefully attain the lofty goal of being considered a “good” teacher by students. At Exeter Summer School, I would have the opportunity to learn about Harkness from a teacher’s perspective and test my hand out at something that I see as a possible career. There is no one better to teach me than Exeter’s teachers, the Master’s of Harkness.
Her eyes narrowed for a few seconds before she raised her hand and asked, “Do you think we’re too young to have sex?” I could see her, a bit confused and worried about the question, scared that my answer might contradict her opinion and thus make her somehow wrong. “I think that you should be able to decide when you are ready to have sex on your own terms and I hope that you’ll be able to make an informed and healthy decision for yourself when you do.” That was after all why I was at LCC talking with high school students about sex: to inform them of the choices they have before them and the things they might want to consider before engaging in sexual activity. I was there as part of an outreach project called Sense of Head and Hands, a non-profit organization that deals with youth empowerment and support in Montreal. The Sense project deals specifically with sexual education in local Montreal high schools. The volunteers go into schools to lead workshops and discussions about sexual health, decision making, and healthy relationships.
Going into schools as an educator, I attempted to channel the wonderful teachers who have inspired and supported me throughout my high school experience. In my four years at Exeter, I had teachers who consistently valued my opinion and experiences, challenged me to grow, and trusted me to make my own decisions. I graduate knowing that my opinion was of as much value as anyone else’s. These experiences made me a wiser and more responsible person. I wanted the students in these workshops to feel the same way. So I went into schools with all the Harkness within me. I asked the students questions, I inquired about their beliefs, I showed them the options they have before them, and I loved every minute of it. Hearing some opinions from the students was surprising. Being in the classroom and thinking of the questions I needed to ask the students was challenging, but the reward of seeing them reconsider a prejudice or realize something about themselves was well worth the challenge.
As an educational system, Harkness has so far been the best I have seen. Teachers around me are trying to incorporate group discussion and peer educating into their classrooms because it works better than traditional lecturing. People are beginning to understand that students are more apt to listen, respect, and learn from each other than from someone who has some supposed superiority over them. I want to join this educational renaissance. I want to inspire the students around me to think, discuss, and grow. I would like to challenge youth to learn and succeed above expectations. Most importantly, I would like to challenge myself to teach well and hopefully attain the lofty goal of being considered a “good” teacher by students. At Exeter Summer School, I would have the opportunity to learn about Harkness from a teacher’s perspective and test my hand out at something that I see as a possible career. There is no one better to teach me than Exeter’s teachers, the Master’s of Harkness.