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SPEAKER 1: I think this was in the [? Galeen ?]
article, but a reminder not to imitate favorite teachers we
may have had in the past, but just be ourself.
Which we can be-- that your style can be made up of a
composite, I think.
I think he would allow for that.
But not to just be a carbon copy of someone you greatly
admire because that worked for you, but may not work for
other students.
JULIA MICKENBERG: Well, and also, you're
just not that person.
I mean, I think that's a great lesson.
When I came to--
How we teach is very integrally tied to who we are.
And the more we feel comfortable with ourselves as
individuals, I think the more effective
we can be as teachers.
It was such an amazing lesson.
And don't try to perform.
If you're yourself, that's actually the best person you
can possibly be.
But I think it's a funny kind of a balance that you want to
achieve because you do want to have a certain kind of
teaching persona.
You want to have enough of an air of authority in the
classroom that students are going to respect you and
respect what you say and believe that you have a
certain kind of knowledge that you can communicate.
But if you're up there being somebody who you're not,
they're going to see through it.
You need to recognize that teaching is a performance, and
that you are putting forth a kind of
persona in the classroom.
And it's not going to be the same persona that you would
have at your breakfast table with your family.
So that you want to project the kind of professionalism
that will then give you the kind of authority that
students will respect.
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