During my year as a student teacher, I've come to realize just how much teaching really is an art -- not a science. That applies even for science teachers like myself! I've had the opportunity to see how one day is never like any other & I've learned to "expect the unexpected" when at school.
I'm the type of person that always liked to plan my life days & weeks in advance. I began the year wanting to plan all my lessons months in advance & expected that all would go as planned. What I didn't realize was just how fluid, dynamic, and ever-changing the classroom is. I'm still big on planning, but fully realize just how quickly plans can change when teaching in the classroom. I know the importance of always having a "Plan B" on hand and it never hurts to have a Plan "C" or "D" to implement, if necessary. Regular disruptions--misbehaving students, fire drills, technology problems, and other minor emergencies in the classroom required me to learn how to "teach on the fly". I've become skillful at amending my lessons to cover only the most important points when suddenly faced with a time constraint. In those instances when I had classroom technology fail on me, I was glad that I was prepared with activities my students could do with pencil & paper in order to keep the lesson moving forward. Because of all the unforeseen events that can throw a "monkey-wrench" into a teacher's day, regular lesson planning and revising is a must. I began my student teaching this year believing that I would be solely responsible for planning (and revising) my lessons. I was happy to learn that this wasn't the case and that most teachers collaboratively lesson plan with their colleagues. It's a wonderful way for teachers to solve common problems, share ideas, and learn from each other. Two (or more) heads always think better than one!
0 Comments
Which in the list would you consider your strength? Why?
Have Vision Having vision requires knowing what your goals are and the specific things you need to do to achieve them. Those with vision have the drive to do "whatever it takes" to achieve success. This usually requires taking advantage of all professional development opportunities, collaborating with your colleagues, seeking the advice of a mentor, and constantly researching how you can make a given situation "better" or "easier". Having vision also requires being able to assess & re-assess your goals as situations change, as they so often do in the classroom. Teachers with vision know what "success" looks like and know that success is measured in different ways for different students. As a future teacher, my vision for my students is to see them work to their full potential and achieve their dreams. People with vision are "results-driven" individuals like myself and I'm willing to do "whatever it takes" to get good results for my students! Which in the list needs a little work? Be Confident As a new teacher, my confidence level isn't likely to be as high as a veteran teacher with several years of experience under their belt. However, with the tier 1 teacher preparation I've gotten at U of H, in addition to the solid year of student teaching I've just completed at my high school, I'm confident that I'll be able to successfully navigate through the first year in a classroom of my own. What I fear the most are those unpredictable & unanticipated situations that will arise in my classroom. Will I successfully be able to resolve problems and deal with troublesome situations I've never had to deal with before? As a new teacher, I know I'm not going to have all the answers to every situation and I will not hesitate to ask colleagues for help or seek the advice of my mentor when I need to. Is there anything missing from the list that you would add? Go "above & beyond" -- Let your passion show! I'm fully aware of the specific material my students must master before the end of the school year and I will design my lessons to ensure that that happens. However, I chose to teach Biology because I have a passion for the sciences that I am unable to show my students unless I teach "above & beyond" the standard curriculum, when time permits. I try as often as I can to tie what we are learning in the classroom to current breakthroughs & trends in science out in the "real world". Making these connections is what makes the "nuts & bolts" science taught in the classroom more interesting and can spark a passion in my students to learn more about the scientific world. Recently, my students learned about organs and organ systems by looking at various images & clip art on the internet. To enhance this lesson, I brought some fetal pigs to the classroom and let the students dissect them to make learning about body systems more "real". It's always entirely possible that a student of mine might say to themselves during the dissection "This is really fascinating--I might want to explore a career in the medical field!" It was a "picture-perfect" day & a wonderful opportunity for my students to learn about Biology outside of the classroom!
What these strategies all have in common is that they highlight the fact that teaching is much more than just about "learning stuff". Students need to know that they have a teacher in their classroom who genuinely cares about their lives--A teacher who greets them by name at the door, who is always willing to listen with an open ear, and who shares their own past life experiences to let their students know they can relate to the day-to-day struggles of student life because they were once students themselves. I always make a point of sharing my past successes & failures, particularly how I overcame the things I struggled with as a student. Doing this makes connections easier to establish and maintain & it shows my students they aren't the only ones who struggle. Some of the specific ways I've shown my students this year that "I care" are--telling my students they were missed when they were absent, keeping a supply of snacks on hand for hungry students, holding pizza parties for the highest achievers or most improved students, and having informal conversations over breakfast or lunch in the classroom. One thing that I would add to the list (which I did not see) would include getting periodic feedback from my students through the use of surveys. This tells my students that I value their opinion & it makes them stakeholders in their classroom, which I believe helps make more engaged, self-motivated learners. I gave my students a couple of surveys this year where they indicated what learning activities they liked the most & helped them the most, and which did not. Having this feedback helps me to understand my students better so that I can adjust my instruction to make the teaching & learning experience a better one for everyone involved! This is a fantastic list--a reminder that the most effective teachers are those that go out of their way to build good, solid relationships with their students. A "must have" list for any aspiring teacher!
The strategies that I feel work best to help me build good, solid relationships with my students are: #1 -- Ask your students to share three things about themselves. Let them choose what they share. Keep them on index cards to help make connections throughout the year. #2-- Make positive phone calls home especially within the first two weeks of the school year. #3 -- Eat together. Have breakfast with a small group of kids or join them at the lunch table. Gathering around meal time provides an informal way to have conversations and get to know your students. #4-- Laugh with them. Frequently. Show them that school, and your class, is just not about learning stuff. It is about sharing an experience. Tell them you missed them if they were out. #5 -- Tell a story from a time you were their age. This approach allows students to see teachers as they once were and make connections easier to establish and maintain. #6 -- When a student is having a rough day, ask if he/she has eaten. We are all more unreasonable when we are hungry. Keep a supply of snacks on hand (ex: breakfast bars, crackers, etc). #7-- Say "I missed you yesterday" when a student has been absent. Be sincere. #8 -- Smile and make eye contact. "Good morning", "Good afternoon". Something as simple as a greeting in the hall with smile and eye contact conveys both warmth & safety. Try it tomorrow. #9-- Share your own goals, successes/failures. Don't be a mystery to your students. #10-- Don't be too busy to truly listen. Listen to understand, not to respond. Are you starting a lesson when a student interrupts and tells you they are moving? Take the minute to hear them out. That time will mean more to the student than the first minute of the lesson ever will. #11-- Tell them what was hard for you when you went through school and how you worked to overcome the challenges. It shows they aren't the only ones who struggle. #12 -- Host an ice cream social for students that meet certain goals. |
|
Proudly powered by Weebly