In his AP Psychology class, Eddie Grove’s favorite unit to teach is on memory.
“This unit is full of metacognition opportunities because simultaneously students are learning about how their own memories work while needing to use those very skills to remember the material of the unit and the whole course,” Groves, a teacher at Ohio County High School for 14 years, said.
Groves takes students through the minutiae of deep and shallow processing with an activity using alliterative sentences, giving students different directions on how to rank these sentences. His class then socratically discusses the two different types of ranking and how deep and shallow processing works.
“It is this type of activity that I think defines my beliefs about teaching: learning should be engaging, thought-provoking and applicable to life,” he said.
Years later, Groves still gets contacted by students off at college, using what they learned in his class while studying for their next exam.
But beyond just learning in the classroom, Groves considers one of the great hallmarks of an impactful teacher is developing connections with students and helping them grow not just as scholars but as people.
“I truly believe that developing connections with students is the best way that a teacher can transcend the classroom and I strive to make connections with as many students as I can,” he said, “The impact of a teacher can never be erased – I hope that I have encouraged and uplifted my students so that they know I would always be willing to help them and be there for them.”
Mentoring students and teachers alike is how Groves believes we leave behind a better world and a better profession. “Be yourself, form relationships and make a difference by enhancing each life you have the pleasure to interact with.”
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