TRB 7

My written reflection on the Lecture given by Dr. David Paterson titled: A Conversation with Dr. David Paterson demonstrates my efforts as a pre-service educator, to engage in career-long learning as laid out in TRB 7. The letter I received as confirmation of my participation in this event is the evidence piece I have chosen to support my reflection piece related to TRB 7.

On January 22, 2019 I attended a lecture given by Dr. David Paterson the Dean of the Faculty of Education. The professional development opportunity was organized by Professor George Kelly and was held in Room 111 in the Education building at Vancouver Island University, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The event itself which was both organized and attended by faculty members in the Education Department, as well as students in the Post Baccalaureate Education Program, demonstrates the value educators place on engaging in career-long learning. As a student in the PBEd program I appreciated the fact that faculty members were modeling this commitment to professional growth over time through attending the lecture and showing how much they themselves valued an opportunity to learn from an experienced educator like Dr. Paterson.

Prior to this event, Dr. Paterson had made a strong impression on me both when he spoke during my first week of classes in the Post Bachelor of Education Orientation week and then again, when he came in to speak during one of my Child and Youth Development Classes. I signed up to attend Dr. Paterson’s lecture because I was very impressed by his warm and friendly demeanor and his obvious depth of knowledge built on years of experience. Great educators are able to connect with their students and leave them with more than just content and Dr. Paterson had left me enthusiastic to hear and learn more.

My respect for Dr. Paterson, turned out to be a common phenomenon and judging by the truly respectful introduction he received, Dr. Paterson seems to have “rock-star” status in the Education Department at VIU. I think that status is well-deserved. Besides revealing Dr. Paterson’s nickname (Pops), Professor Les Malbon’s introduction included a story very relevant to the concept of personal growth through life-long learning. His story was about one of his personal mentors who advised him to wear a “coat with many pockets” to collect the words of wisdom passed on by others throughout his “life’s experience”. This metaphor describes the concept of professional growth over time as described in TRB 7. This metaphor will stick with me because of the strong visual image it created in my mind and how it brings the TRB 7 idea of professional growth over time to life. I’m certain Dr. Paterson, Professor Malbon, and Professor Kelly all have pockets that are bulging with the “great work of their lives”. 

During this “Conversation” Dr. Paterson spoke of the influence and respect he has for the work of Carl Rogers as well as the commitment he has to the Education program at VIU. He demonstrated his strong support and alignment with VIU’s position on acknowledging and incorporating Indigenous Perspectives through following proper protocol and modelling the incorporation of Indigenous ways of knowing by beginning his talk through the lens of his personal family and how it relates to his career. He expressed his core values concisely when he said that he believes education is all about “relationships, relationships, relationships!”. He similarly summed up his approach to counselling with the mantra, “consult, consult, consult”. I feel boiling things down to core elements like this, is a very effective way to convey information that is easy to retain. My “life experience pockets” have these two mantras safely tucked away in them now, ready and waiting to be taken out and used as need be in the future.

The core ideas and advice Dr. Paterson presented to us directly supports the expectations described in TRB 7 which states that:

Educators engage in professional development and reflective practice, understanding that a hallmark of professionalism is the concept of professional growth over time. Educators develop and refine personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning that are informed by theory and practice. Educators identify their professional needs and work to meet those needs individually and collaboratively.

Here are some of Dr. Paterson’s core beliefs and advice taken from my notes on the talk which specifically connect with the expectations expressed in TRB 7.

Through actively engaging in this opportunity for professional development by reflecting on the experience as a whole and organizing and compiling some of the core content, I am demonstrating my commitment to the importance of engaging in career-long learning as an educator. Likewise, the material covered in the lecture reiterated the importance of recognizing how to support your development as an educator through recognizing your professional needs and participating in a community of practice, where colleagues support and challenge each other in order to develop and refine their personal philosophies of education, teaching and learning. 

One of my core beliefs is that teaching and learning are inextricably linked. As a result, I feel teaching should be a process of growth, change and development. I agree that Teachers need to be aware of the value of connecting with the learning process in order to stay fresh and vibrant. This connection with communities of learning also helps educators survive and support each other throughout their careers. In terms of thriving as an educator Dr. Paterson advised, “When you feel alone, that is when you need to get on the phone.” Some of his other valuable recommendations included:

1. Recognize it (teaching) is a marathon.

2. Stay connected with peers.

3. Practice experience and reflection design.

4. Build support systems, take care of your health.

5. Remember that Teachers that care burn out. Have empathy with your peers when they show signs.

6. Recognize the “unfixable suffering” in others.

Dr. Paterson’s introduction to the core conditions of Rogerian Client-centred therapy was also a major topic during this lecture. It is apparent through his caring and passionate presentation of material how much this has informed his practice. 

Core Conditions of Rogerian Client-centred therapy:

1. Congruent: The therapist is congruent with the client.

2. Unconditional positive regard: The therapist provides the client with unconditional positive regard

3. Empathy: The therapist shows empathetic understanding to the client.

He also discussed agents of change such as events, trauma, self-awareness, openness to shifts in thinking, and how they relate to different areas of psychology. His three step process for managing groups and dealing with problems was both practical and straightforward. 

1. Exploration: gather as much info as possible (dig deep).

2. Understanding: empathy, world views, gather as much info as possible.

3. Action: with all this...what do we do?

Dr. Paterson seems to have a talent for clarifying complex concepts through breaking them down into essential steps which I feel shows his combined experience and wisdom. From the way he respectfully responded to queries with, “I appreciate the question” to the way he grabbed our attention at the beginning of the lecture with the promise of showing us the “family film” he starred in as a child, I thoroughly enjoyed this learning experience. The wealth of information provided in these two short hours was remarkable. “A Conversation with Dr. Paterson” was both a truly memorable learning experience and one that was directly connected to upholding the expectation that Educators engage in career-long learning as described in TRB 7.