First Class Exit Slip: Frank McCourt

 The video and subsequent group discussion about Frank McCourt were very inspiring to an aspiring teacher. The thing that struck me most is Frank's ability to connect with his students on a personal level. In the video Frank describes how he got students to talk about subjects they didn't like by encouraging them to list the reasons why they hated them. Rather then encouraging them to like the book they were reading or describing the good parts of the books to try and convince them otherwise, he engages them by supporting the feelings that they have. Through this method he was actually able to discuss a subject (that they had no interest in discussing) and probably forced them to think deeply about the material, even if that thinking was thinking of reasons they dislike it. Another instance of this method is Susan's anecdote about the late slips and obituaries. Again, Frank changes his curriculum to suit his students' desires and was able to teach the things he wants to teach (likely spelling, grammar, etc.) but in a way that was more accessible to the students. Frank is only able to make these connections with his students by being open and honest with them. This connection is likely a hard one to make, but achieving a deeper relationship will almost always improve the quality of the education provided. He describes how his accent often provoked conversation about his past which he would happily share with his students. By sharing about his past he further nurtures the relationship that he is building. He mentions that being a teacher can sometimes feel similar to being an actor, that you enter a room and play a role, an authoritative commanding figure. He says that this style is not sustainable. You cannot maintain a role or an act for 30 years. In order to connect with students in a deeper way you have to be yourself and share some part of yourself with the students. The final thing that I wanted to mention was the scale of the impact that Frank had. In the video he mentions that he taught 11,000 students over the course of his career. While we often reiterate that teaching is an important profession because we are in charge of educating the future generations, hearing that number really puts that into perspective. Thinking about how much of an impact my best teachers had on me, it is clear to me that Frank McCourt, and other great teachers, can undoubtedly change the future.