Standing out, and why it is important to do so

I have never truly stood out in school, for the most part, I was just a follower that would just go with the flow.  That changed in the last two years when I began to dress better, not just sweats or athletic clothes every day, and I began to actually style my hair, and grow it out.  Within the last two weeks, I bleached my hair and plan to go either platinum blonde or silver this summer.  I have also grown a lifestyle, unlike most people I know, in order to be different and stand out, not just blend into this blur of normality most people find themselves in.  This mindset can be applied to school and classes in many ways, here are a few.

Stand Out!

Every class I've ever had that was different and stood out always seemed to be more fun, and I always learn better when having fun.  One example of this is my freshman English class, where in class we don't do worksheets but instead we analyze songs, poems, and write fun and interesting quick writes.  Out of class, we don't have orthodox homework but instead, we have websites we build and then run on our own with a group and everything we do ties back into the class.  I believe that everyone should have a class that stands out, you may not think we have done much in this class but we've written 8 in class essays on books we've read, 4 formal song analyses, 4 formal poem analyses, and 4 online writings.  To see all the work I've done and am continuing to do you can visit my personal website at www.dawsonunger.weebly.com

Have Fun!

My sixth and seventh-grade history classes were always my favorites, even though we took our notes, and did small little projects the teacher was one of the funniest people ever.  He would always play around with the students if they asked a silly question and would always just joke around with the students.  Though our notes may have been fairly boring we still had fun in the class for that reason, and I still remember most of what I learned in those two years.  It matters how a teacher teaches, but even if their style of teaching isn't great playing along with the students and allowing them to have fun in the classroom will create a much greater bond and the students learn much easier.

Diversity!

Every classroom needs diversity, whether it is with race, gender, class, or even just the kind of people in the class.  Having many different kinds of learners is a constant in the classroom, but having different styles of teaching in a single classroom is rare.  When you come to a classroom where the teacher will change how they teach occasionally is always amazing, because it also teaches the students how to learn in different formats, instead of the classic "write this and memorize it."  This style of teaching will fit every student's needs, but also change is intriguing so students are more likely to be interested in the newer styles, which creates more learning.


It is nearly impossible to avoid diversity on the student's side, but if you can create diversity as a teacher the classroom will be much more enjoyable for all.  Standing out as a teacher is rarely a bad thing, but 99 times out of 100 the class will become better, more fun, and a better learning experience for the students.  If the teachers stand out, have fun, and include diversity into their teachings, students can't help but be intrigued and learn.

Diversity in the Classroom | Center for Teaching and Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017.