Authenticity

Understanding the value and use of authenticity in the classroom is a tough bundle to unwrap. Like any seemingly good thing there are times when authenticity can hinder the educational experience of a student. Mostly, however, I believe that educators who are authentic with themselves, their co-workers and their students improve the atmosphere of the school at large.

One major struggle teachers have with authenticity is knowing where to set boundaries and when to tear them down. A big part of figuring that out is understanding the maturity level of the students you are working with. I had a teacher my senior year of high school who just didn't get that we weren't in middle school anymore. She was teaching an upperclassmen science fiction literature course, but it was her first time teaching in a high school. She had previously been teaching at the middle school level and it was evident in the way she related to her students. Open discussion was completely out of the question in her classroom. She wouldn't acknowledge a student unless they raised their hand. The students had zero respect for her and her "lock-down" approach to controlling the class. She chose not to be authentic with us, the students, in a way that made her look ignorant of our capabilities and inapproachable as a teacher. She never expressed her mistakes or where she was coming from in effort to protect herself from getting walked on.

This brings up another point, students are incredibly perceptive. They can read teachers like picture book. We knew that we scared our teacher and we knew that it was in effort to gain respect and control in the classroom that she acted the way she did. I think this is the biggest reason for being authentic as a teacher. You can't hide much, so don't try to. Be honest, yet professional. Share stories about your personal life and be sure to include the times you made mistakes. Humility within your authenticity gains a lot of respect and trust in the relationships between you and your students. Being real about your expectations and goals is extremely beneficial to students as well. Like, Mr. Doung did, share with your students why you are in the classroom and why you care. Simple things like that establish a bond that makes learning that much easier for the students.