June '07 Blog #2: What is the impact that this experience has had on your life?

The entire teaching experience has had a positive effect on my life. The whole experience has been a learning experience and for that I am grateful. I have developed more time management skills. I have learned that people lie and that everyone is not generally nice. Before teaching I think I was more naïve and very ignorant towards the struggle teachers face every day. After this experience, I have learned that no matter how mad they make you that your students are just kids.

Throughout this experience, I have come in contact with many different people with many different situations and difficulties who are trying to reach the same goal. I have learned to become more of a realist than an idealist. I have also learned patience and compassion. I have learned that sometimes you have to work hard in order to see results. I have learned that sometimes when you work hard, you don’t see instant results. I have learned how to change and to approach different situations in different ways. I have learned that it does matter what you say but more importantly, it matters how you say it.

I know this experience has made me grow up and has loosened the grip on my once very carefree life. I have to wake up before ten o’clock now and actually put on real clothes. My actions do not just affect me, but they now affect my students. For example, if I didn’t want to study for a test in college, then oh well. I would reap the results of my actions. In school, if I don’t want to plan for a lesson, then not only am I reaping the consequences, but my students are as well. Responsibility is the word I’m looking for. I have developed more of it and believe that I am better because of it.

MTC alone has been a mostly positive experience. Having the support of fellow teachers doing the same work you do and facing the same struggles you do has been very rewarding. Just observing and listening to the various ways people approach the same difficulties you have is a learning experience within itself. The course work better prepares you for the obstacles that you will face in your field.

The success and failures are two of the biggest impacts. Your success can come at a time when you have given up all hope for the future. A child who has never ever answered a question right all year, can raise his hand and answer a question that the entire class couldn’t answer. You can have a student who has failed all his tests with a 50% or lower, but on his next test, this student has failed with 65%. At times like these, the success seems so minute, but for a teacher this time is the perfect time to rejoice in a very small success. On the other spectrum, failure is just as important. Here, you have tried many ways to get your students to retain and comprehend a concept, but everything that you’ve tried is not working. From failures like these you learn how to adapt and to keeping teaching until you find a way that reaches them.

Teaching has had a major impact on my life. I view things differently now, and I have a different attitude and more respect towards those who make teaching their profession. The satisfaction that you receive from a success and the learning experience that you receive from failures make teaching a worthwhile experience.

June '07 Blog#1: Something You Wished You Did BEFORE The School Year Started

Before the school year started, I wished that I could have already seen what was to lie ahead, so that I could accurately prepare for it. Since that didn’t happen, here are a couple of things that I wished I would have done.

Written the majority of my lesson plans for the first month. Since the beginning of school is completely hectic and very chaotic, you really don’t have all of that extra time you thought you had to do things. Among the 500 forms and 1 million assemblies, you still have to find the time to complete lesson plans.

Had ALL of my procedures in place. MTC did a good job of kind of preparing me for the procedures that I would need in my classroom, but I don’t you actually realize how important just simple procedures are until you get in the classroom. When you’re thinking about procedures, think: What’s easy for me and helpful for my students and wa la, you have your procedures. Think about everything that could possibly happen in the classroom (cuz, hey, it just might happen) and have a procedure in place for that.

Thought of other classroom management methods. When I started the school year I had 8th graders and writing assignments, but when I finished the school year, I was teaching 9th graders and detention. Writing assignment worked well with my 8th graders, but they were a hassle with my 9th graders. If you teach different levels of students, have appropriate classroom management tools in place. Listen to other teachers and see what they use, also have a couple of good ideas stored just in case you have to revamp your plan between maturity and grade levels.

Had my school supply list ready. After I assessed my room, I should have made a list of top priority items and least items, and then submitted them both. You will probably have enough EEF money, so use it to buy the things you need and to do the things you want to do. Which leads me into my next shouldacouldawoulda.

Had a vision for my classroom. If you want to take you kids to the local zoo during an Ecology lesson, then have those thoughts in mind and on paper. Chances are that there is money somewhere in that school; you just have to find it. If you have these things in mind then someone, maybe a mentor teacher, can assist you with your goals and it makes you seem really smart and organized that you have these things planned out.

Bought many manila folders and sticky tabs. As an effective teacher you have to be organized and have time management skills.
Realized that grading papers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It seemed so much more fun when I was in the 5th grade.

Realized that students are a great resource for handling a lot of classroom problems. Ex. Turning off the light for presentations, cleaning up the room, erasing the board, grading papers, taking important papers to the office, and the list continues!

Bought many tapes to record my favorite tv shows. Sometimes I was not finished grading and/or doing MTC homework and had to sacrifice Grey’s Anatomy. (This should have NEVER happened!)