Starting a Chain Reaction

I have had one remarkable teacher who has permanently changed my life forever. Professor Mariusz Zadrag was always dedicated to his students and created a continuous loop of learning in the classroom.

I am a graduate of the psychology program at the University of Ottawa. Professor Zadrag was the professor for my Personality class during the program. He was a passionate educator that always brought examples from his own life into the classroom. He exhibited honourable professional practice. He allowed us to relate the theories discussed in class to our own lives and give students the opportunity to choose between an oral exam, written paper or a practical written exam to determine the final 60% of our mark. This shows his commitment to student learning. Allowing for the student to learn and choose what way would be best to assess their skills. This gave students like myself, the freedom to reflect and learn about our past and how we can change for the future.

I enjoyed taking this class for multiple reasons. The professor was able to help me realize that my efforts as a student will not go unrecognized. That my hard work meant something and that a letter grade does not determine how smart we are as individuals. In his class we discussed issues regarding the school system; specifically, how we are taught to memorize and regurgitate information without fully understanding the academic concepts. We collaborated as a class to discuss the way individuals may perceive themselves do to the past experiences in their life. We later related it to how our past is what lead us to be where we are today. This is what I determine to be ongoing professional learning. This inquiry helped individuals in my class including myself realizes the impact of past events and how the system of education is structured as a miniature assembly line. We always had an ongoing dialogue in the classroom, everyone was comfortable with discussing their past, their personality and their authenticity. That is the positive environment I would like to develop for my students.

I aspire to be a teacher that encourages an active and healthy lifestyle. I want all children to learn and understand the importance of education. Each child has the potential to excel and succeed but not all children have the opportunity, tools or support system needed to open there eyes to the possibility. I want to encourage my future students to strive towards excellence. Educate each individual on the value of authenticity, risk taking and respectful feedback. I want them to be intrinsically rewarded when learning something new. Thus having the motivation to learn, grow and inspire.