Writing & Learning

 I have always been a kinesthetic learner - the most prominent trait of this type that I have is that I write everything down. I use an "old-school" paper book planner with plenty of space for notes. I write with erasable pens in case I have to change anything. 

In the first grade, my teacher would pass out beige, slightly speckled writing paper with blue dashed lines. Everyone would write their few sentences. I, on the other hand, wrote so much that I had to turn the paper over to the back side. When I was finished, my teacher once held up my paper as an example to the class. I was proud, but also slightly embarrassed. I had a feeling the other kids didn't appreciate being pressured to write "like Melissa" when that ostensibly meant that they would have to write more, when some of them probably didn't want to. Nevertheless, I didn't stop filling pages.

On to third grade. Everyone was outside at recess; it was mandatory. But I would have preferred to stay inside. Me and my best friend were working on a book. I was writing it, and she drew the pictures. We sat on the blacktop playground against the brick wall of our elementary school, filling pages. Other days, we would read books, still sitting up against that brick wall. 

When I got to college, I quickly realized that I responded well to a teacher who was mostly auditory in teaching style - that is, they lectured. Of course, there are so many other ways to engage students, but the professors I liked best wove exciting, captivating stories into their lessons. I would only struggle to keep up as I wrote furiously in my class-designated notebook, trying to get down the important points. It was a pleasure to watch them teach; I felt entertained. But venturing into college teaching myself, after my master's degree, I realized that discussion and student-centered learning could be just as captivating and entertaining for them, if not more. Now, I am ready and eager to adapt my future classroom to different learning styles and strengths.