A Narrative from My Experience at Lesher
Middle school is a conglomeration of innocence, braces, noise, and everything in between. I truly enjoyed being placed in the heart of it all, the classroom. I realized after a short amount of time that what I was going to get out of my experience at Lesher, would be up to me. It wasn't easy putting down my barriers the first time I had to step in to resolve an issue. But the only way to grow is to shed a layer of comfort and throw myself into it.
One of my most natural, and strongest attributes that I discovered is getting down on the same level as the student; presenting myself in a vulnerable state to hear what they have to say. As a teacher, it's important to stay neutral, to be open minded, and act as the voice of reason within a student. After a while, my confidence to step in with authority became stronger, and I could tell that the students began to see me similarly. This was something I really tried to focus on because i've had trouble with being too "buddy-buddy" in the past. It was my goal everyday to be truly engaged with what they were doing, ask them questions, make suggestions, point out achievments. In this way, I think I presented myself as a guide, as well as a friend. Slowly but surely I'm finding who I am as an educator.
I learned that the most effective way of class management goes completely hand-in-hand with intruction. If the instruction is intrinsically interesting, engaging, and geared towards the students' interest, then they will want to be involved and learn. The most successful classes that Ms. Knips lead were ones where she planned with attention to detail and keeping her students active. She would have everything ready to go before beginning, and would tweak the way she gave the lesson with each class. I think that that is a big concept to understand as a teacher, as well. Things get better with time. In the future, I plan to give myself credit when things don't go as planned, stay humble, and improve with everything I do.
WIth 450 approaching, I'm going to keep a large perspective. I am going to soak in every piece of information and experience that comes my way, whether those be good or bad. I will also listen to my gut more, to help a student or further myself as a teacher in any way. Specifically, I will focus on being more clear with my words, which only comes with practice and taking opportunities to explain what I mean. It's important to give reasons to students and illustrate why certain content is important or why their behavior had influence on them and others.
One of my most natural, and strongest attributes that I discovered is getting down on the same level as the student; presenting myself in a vulnerable state to hear what they have to say. As a teacher, it's important to stay neutral, to be open minded, and act as the voice of reason within a student. After a while, my confidence to step in with authority became stronger, and I could tell that the students began to see me similarly. This was something I really tried to focus on because i've had trouble with being too "buddy-buddy" in the past. It was my goal everyday to be truly engaged with what they were doing, ask them questions, make suggestions, point out achievments. In this way, I think I presented myself as a guide, as well as a friend. Slowly but surely I'm finding who I am as an educator.
I learned that the most effective way of class management goes completely hand-in-hand with intruction. If the instruction is intrinsically interesting, engaging, and geared towards the students' interest, then they will want to be involved and learn. The most successful classes that Ms. Knips lead were ones where she planned with attention to detail and keeping her students active. She would have everything ready to go before beginning, and would tweak the way she gave the lesson with each class. I think that that is a big concept to understand as a teacher, as well. Things get better with time. In the future, I plan to give myself credit when things don't go as planned, stay humble, and improve with everything I do.
WIth 450 approaching, I'm going to keep a large perspective. I am going to soak in every piece of information and experience that comes my way, whether those be good or bad. I will also listen to my gut more, to help a student or further myself as a teacher in any way. Specifically, I will focus on being more clear with my words, which only comes with practice and taking opportunities to explain what I mean. It's important to give reasons to students and illustrate why certain content is important or why their behavior had influence on them and others.