As I strolled through the Steel Stacks site, formerly the site of Bethlehem Steel, I noted my senses were being bombarded by information.  I saw the myriad of buildings and how each performed its own important duties on the way to producing steel.  I could actually smell ashes and the musty smell of decaying matter.  I touched some of the old girders and boilers, noting how some had weathered over the years quite well, while others displayed significant disintegration.  I heard the clanging of loose metal which had worked its way loose from its formerly sturdy moorings.

As an educator, I realized that my walking tour was more significant than a casual stroll.   The experience re-emphasized that simply reading about historical sites was nowhere near as effective a learning tool as actually seeing the site.  I felt like I was actually walking through history.  This was far more effective than the simple rote memorization of facts.  I could actually visualize in my mind, the steel workers performing their various duties in the heat and stench that must have been part of the steel making process.  I could envision busy streets with large trucks hauling ore and finished steel, as well as the administration building where executives and salespeople negotiated pricing and transport of materials to customers all over the world!  It was at this point, that I read a board on the walkway, “This job was one of the hardest jobs in the world.”  I saw many similarities to the profession of teaching.  Personally, I think being “a teacher” is one of the hardest jobs in the world.  You must deal with an incredibly diverse group of learners, all with differing abilities and skill sets.  As the teacher, your job is to develop a curriculum in which you can address each and every one of their academic needs.  I found other similarities in that, every student can contribute, just as the myriad of buildings, to the final end product – learning and the betterment of society as well as individuals – this is our product in education!  Many outside factors impact learning within the classroom (finances, health, family dynamics).  Extrinsic factors also affected Bethlehem Steel (economy, foreign competition).  These outside factors have a tremendous impact on the final product!

One former worker of the Steel Stacks, Guillermo Lopez, said, “I remember the first day I was on the job and I was like ‘Oh my god, this is hell!’”  There are some days when you may feel this way as a teacher as well.  Maybe your lessons weren’t fully prepared, maybe you didn’t have the best of days connecting with your students, maybe the technology failed that day, or maybe you just have to get used to a new class or job setting.  

Although Bethlehem Steel was once a mighty titan of the steel-making industry, it ultimately entered bankruptcy, a fact met with astonishment by many around the globe.  I believe this was due in large part to their lack of understanding of the changing world steel market and the competitive marketplace.  As educators, we must be flexible and ready to respond with curriculum answers to a changing society’s problems and needs.  Our society is constantly evolving, new problems arise, and our students must be equipped to meet the challenging needs of our society and the world.  They must be prepared as critical thinkers, analyzers, and solution makers for the needs of our society and global neighbors.  We cannot allow our educational system and curriculum to “rust out” and fall into disrepair as did this once mighty behemoth of industry.

I also noticed as I was walking around the Steel Stacks, that every structure was different in its own way, which got me to reflect upon classroom teaching.  As there were many different structures, I realized that in the classroom, each student has a different style/structure to how they think and learn best.  Each one of them has different abilities that help to bring out diversity of background and unique thoughts.  Based upon the overall structure of how the Steel Stacks were made and operated, there were a lot of great and different minds that helped contribute to the final product of the structure.  This is also true of the classroom.  Each and every year, a different model/product is produced based upon your students’ abilities and skills.  Also, not one structure (or student) is going to be exactly the same.  That’s what the Bethlehem Steel Stacks represents.  Through its design, not one structure is the same, which helps to display the diversity of the entire enterprise.  Each part has a certain characteristic/ability, and in order for the structure at the time to work/function properly, it needs that part to operate a certain way.  Just like students in the classroom, each one operates a certain way, and in order for them to be successful, you have to incorporate aspects throughout your lessons that highlight many different operations, in order for the class to function properly.  I have found that part of the art of teaching is to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

My experience at Steel Stacks will be incorporated into my teachings.  I want to understand why each student wants to learn about science.  Specifically, Why are you in this classroom?  What do you want to get out of it?  By implementing this approach, I can work with each of the students to discover their goals.  I can then develop curriculum and utilize appropriate teaching techniques to address their individual learning needs.  My belief is that all students have significant potential and have the ability to meaningfully contribute to the classroom and to society.  I will strive to uncover their talent, and have them develop it within the classroom.

By having the curriculum incorporate a connection between place and space, teacher and students will be afforded a far richer learning environment than can be provided only through the reading of textbooks.  It promotes critical thinking and interaction, as well as the exchange of ideas.  I believe fields trips, interactive learning, and hands-on learning provide a greater opportunity for effective learning.

Importantly, once a curriculum has been devised and implemented, we must find an accurate way to measure true learning.  Rote memorization of facts is no longer effective nor necessary, we must find a way to measure critical thinking, analysis, understanding, and the ability to use concepts to solve new problems.  Victor Kiam said, “There are only two ways to move in life; you’re either moving forward or you are moving backward, there is no such thing as standing still.”  Educators must never remain stagnant, they must always be learning and searching for new ways to have our students learn in the most effective ways possible, in an ever-changing world filled with new societal needs and problems.  You as the teacher are the ones who leave a legacy on your students, and one quote mentioned that, “The steel company is gone, but those structures are still there to be enjoyed by millions and millions of people every day.  That legacy will not be so easily erased” (Lynn Beedle, Bethlehem Engineer).  Even though one day I will die, I hope that my legacy on my future students won’t be so easily erased, as well as the legacy of other teachers throughout the United States.  Our students will be the people to solve those needs and it is my mission as a teacher to be certain they are qualified, prepared, and eager to take on and solve those problems!