At first, when I began reading “Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon, I felt skeptical. I didn’t really like the idea of sharing something of my work every day on the Internet. I am definitely more of a visitor” than a “resident” when it comes to my private life, and sometimes I feel that I would prefer it that way in my professional life, too. However, recently a classmate had a job interview and noted that her potential employers were very impressed with the fact that she had a professional website. She got the job. And that got my attention.
Austin Kleon talked about “giving what you have,” even if you don’t feel like a genius, because what you make will be meaningful to someone. I feel that way about the teaching profession in general when it comes to my students. It is a nice thought that I could benefit other teachers as well.
Austin Kleon talked about “giving what you have,” even if you don’t feel like a genius, because what you make will be meaningful to someone. I feel that way about the teaching profession in general when it comes to my students. It is a nice thought that I could benefit other teachers as well.
Being a beginning teacher, I often do not feel like what I have would be beneficial to expert teachers. However, what I have learned at CSUSM about new teaching strategies and new educational research will give me a little bit to offer - not because I’m anything special, but because I’ve had good opportunities. Furthermore, if what Kleon and Longfellow say is true, what I have “may be better than [I] dare to think” to someone else. Here is also where the idea of “scenius” comes into play. I have often noted that I can refine my own thought process by participating in a conversation and sharing in a conversation with others. (The same is probably true of my students, so I should offer them plenty of opportunities to collaborate with each other and refine their ideas - e.g., in a 20time project.)
I especially loved what Kleon said about being an amateur, which, translated literally, just means lover. I don’t have to be an expert at something; I just have to like it enough to be willing to learn as a lover, as “the enthusiast who pursues work in the spirit of love,” rather than trying to be an expert. I feel that I have to take that approach to everything anyway, because I can never master all of the knowledge, even in just one subject area. In fact, Kleon goes on to say that the world is changing so quickly, we are all amateurs (Kleon, 18) anyway, because new knowledge is being produced with technology and technology is changing. So, knowing that I can’t really be an expert, I should be an amateur instead. My enthusiasm will make me more willing to learn - as is the purpose of a choice-based 20time project. And the more enthusiastic I am, the more I will be able to model that and spread it to my students, because “raw enthusiasm is contagious” (Kleon, 18). I remember noticing that in my teachers, so even when I am tired or stressed or frustrated, I do my best to keep my voice and facial expression enthusiastic at school in front of my students! That is also where “teaching what you know” comes in during Chapter 6, because more than likely, we will learn more about our passions.
And, as I am learning more about a subject about which I am passionate, other people, including my students, can even watch my process. I can model a 20time for my students. I can show them examples of myself failing and growing through the “process” and not just the “product” of my learning by posting on Twitter or YouTube what I am learning. Maybe I won’t do so every day, but I can do so once in a while. So even though I’m not excited about posting online every day, “Show Your Work” convinced me that it might be beneficial to others to post my learning sometimes!
Works Cited:
Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Discovered. N.p.: Workman, 2014. Print.
I especially loved what Kleon said about being an amateur, which, translated literally, just means lover. I don’t have to be an expert at something; I just have to like it enough to be willing to learn as a lover, as “the enthusiast who pursues work in the spirit of love,” rather than trying to be an expert. I feel that I have to take that approach to everything anyway, because I can never master all of the knowledge, even in just one subject area. In fact, Kleon goes on to say that the world is changing so quickly, we are all amateurs (Kleon, 18) anyway, because new knowledge is being produced with technology and technology is changing. So, knowing that I can’t really be an expert, I should be an amateur instead. My enthusiasm will make me more willing to learn - as is the purpose of a choice-based 20time project. And the more enthusiastic I am, the more I will be able to model that and spread it to my students, because “raw enthusiasm is contagious” (Kleon, 18). I remember noticing that in my teachers, so even when I am tired or stressed or frustrated, I do my best to keep my voice and facial expression enthusiastic at school in front of my students! That is also where “teaching what you know” comes in during Chapter 6, because more than likely, we will learn more about our passions.
And, as I am learning more about a subject about which I am passionate, other people, including my students, can even watch my process. I can model a 20time for my students. I can show them examples of myself failing and growing through the “process” and not just the “product” of my learning by posting on Twitter or YouTube what I am learning. Maybe I won’t do so every day, but I can do so once in a while. So even though I’m not excited about posting online every day, “Show Your Work” convinced me that it might be beneficial to others to post my learning sometimes!
Works Cited:
Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Discovered. N.p.: Workman, 2014. Print.