Know thyself: The power of a reflective educator

As educators, we teach the students we believe they are. But if we don’t know who we are as teachers, how do we know who our students are? Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez, co-author of the book “The Teaching Brain,” talks about how teachers can become better educators by being more keenly aware of how their personal beliefs and traits affect how they see students and approach the learning process. If teachers are never taught to explore those lenses, they are missing who their students truly are. By understanding three sides of themselves -- private, public and perceived - teachers can build relationships that help students thrive. Vanessa reminds us that teachers are learners too and cautions that the education community’s focus on student-centered learning ignores crucial components of the learning process - that learning is an interaction.

This podcast is produced by NarayanKripa Sundararajan (@KripaSundar) as part of the Course of Mind project, an ISTE initiative made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Support the show