Meet the Teacher: Tishina

Welcome to Meet the Teacher – CodeMonkey’s blog segment where teachers from all over the world share their experiences on what it’s like being an educator. Today’s post features Tishina Brown-Harris who is a K-5th Grade Technology Teacher at Eastern Local School District in Beaver, Ohio.

“I decided in college to be a teacher after being inspired by some amazing teachers and professors along the way. I wanted to have a hand in shaping the future and helping kids grow to be independent successful contributing citizens with a little bit of me inside them. I think it’s exciting to see where they are headed and what they will become. I want to encourage them to reach further than they can imagine and know that they are capable of anything.  

I am definitely a connected educator. I am connected with my students and parents daily. The kids like sending emails, blogging, sharing projects…. its limitless. They look forward to coming to technology they are always excited about learning and the connectedness really adds to the dynamics of class.  I love that kids are intrinsically motivated when using technology. I see them light up when interacting with myself and their peers online. Parents really appreciate seeing what’s going on in class and engage in frequent two way communication via email, messenger, google etc.

Elementary kids are coming into my class with no fear of technology and constant curiosity for technology use. When I put aside fears of failure I’m modeling what I want from them. Through failure we truly learn. Failure is essential to the learning process. No one was born an expert. When kids know they have to test problems, theories, etc they are engaging in higher level thinking and learning some of the most important skills that will help them in the future.

It’s important to me that my students become independent thinkers prepared to compete in a global workforce. Technology can be intimidating. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Be honest with your students and learn the technology together. More often than not I learn from my students.”