After looking over my reflections from this past week, I see how everything is connected in one way or another when it comes to working with and teaching students. In order to have a good connection with my students, I have to show them that I am not a pushover and that I am here to help them. In order to show them I'm not a pushover, I have to set high expectations and stick to them. By setting high expectations, I can plan and integrate lessons that show students how awesome English really is. One thing cannot be without the other. Through this reflection, I realize now how important it is to give 110% in every aspect of teaching. Being a good teacher isn't determined by how well I know my content, and it's certainly not by trying to make students like me. It is a balance of everything. I know that once I'm running my own classroom, this may be easier said than done. It is definitely going to take a lot of work, but now that I know exactly what I have to do to become the best teacher that I can be, I am ready to take on that challenge.
There are many things that I think I still need to improve on. I am no where close to perfect, and I probably will not be close to perfect any time soon. I think teaching is a growing experience, no matter how many years you've been in the classroom. Things can always be better. One thing for sure that I know I need to work on is structure in the class, or a routine. I have been trying to do different things to get students into a routine, but they aren't quite catching on yet. Another thing I need to improve on is having back-up plans. There are days when things don't always go according to plan, and sometimes I have to step back for a few minutes to figure out what's not working and how to fix it. I think for instances like that, class my go a little smoother if I had a back-up for something not going right ahead of time.
I know what you mean when you say it is important to have some sort of back up plan. Somedays i feel like the students change there learning styles, so i have to try and find different ways to reach them. If i had a back up plan i would not have to go out of my comfort zone and change on the flip of a coin. Good point!
ReplyDeleteTeaching is indeed a growing experience, and you are growing both personally and professionally from this experience. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI know you are doing an awesome job! I think I have a hard time teaching to the gifted students. Ron Clark's book says to teach to the gifted students, but I feel like either I'm not challanging enough for the g.t. students or not hard enough for the others. I think I need to adjust the way I grade.
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