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| Megan Hartman |
Hello All!
This blog is a course exercise.
The purpose of this blog will be to field different opinions and suggestions for both new and prospective teachers. Many of you have had experience in the general education classroom (and in perhaps other forms of teaching environments, as well) and can provide insights that may have been overlooked by your previous instructors/courses. This blog is an opportunity to share any of these insights that you might have found as you became more familiar with your new classroom and students. The suggestions can be can be as simple or as detailed as you like; all that I ask is that your contributions be genuine. If you have not yet been in a classroom, you may offer your own opinions on becoming a new instructor.
For me, student teaching was the best course to prepare me for the classroom, but it still did not equip me with all the tools that I needed. The curriculum, I thought, would teach me what to teach, and it did to an extent but not all the way (at least where I went to school). I needed a class that sat me down and said start here and end here. Group these skills together. I felt lost my first year because the other teachers did not have time to help me so I made my own up. Now, that I've been teaching for several years, I know where to begin and end. It took years to perfect this though.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty and can relate to wanting a course that sits you down and tells you where to begin and end. I have yet to engage in student teaching and am a little apprehensive about where I stand so far.
DeleteThe reason that I decided to get my Master's degree in Education was because I taught at a small private school for a year after receiving my undergraduate degree. I quickly realized how ill-prepared I was to be thrown into a classroom full of rambunctious sixth graders! I don't know if formal training would have even prepared me. I guess you don't KNOW until you DO. However, I did find the experience rewarding and eye-opening. There is no substitute for actual classroom time, but I must say that good training is necessary to be productive in that environment. I think one thing that you need to keep in mind as you continue through Education courses is that lots of the ideas are GREAT, but they may not actually work in your classroom. Each class and individual student are different. Don't get discouraged if some of the techniques you are excited about don't quite work out. Teaching is in a large part trial and error.
ReplyDeleteI like the concept of teaching being "in large part trial and error" because it speaks to the truth of the process. As you said, not every method will essentially "work" in the classroom just because it was presented in a course.
DeleteI am just starting my student teaching. I do not have a previous experience in education so this is all brand new to me. But I am learning so much. I feel as if I am a sponge. I am realizing that anything goes! I have a wealth of knowledge available to me through the internet and I have found so many useful and knowledgeable things that I can use for lesson plans and great activities for my classroom. But there is a downside. I have found that some approaches do not work, but for the most part they do work for me in my classroom setting. For those students that are the exception it is always important to have back up strategies to ensure that there is learning and comprehension actually go on with all the students.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is really wonderful when it comes to ideas about lesson plans, activities, etc.; I like to use Pinterest to organize the things I find, so that I can hopefully implement them in my own classroom one day.
DeleteWell, I never did any student teaching. I am certified to teach mathematics, chemistry and physics, but I don't have an education degree. What class management skills I have, if any, I have found for myself over time. My first assignments were typical for new teachers - classes with a high percentage of students that were repeating and had behavior issues. I have been cursed at, threatened, shoved, been the target of missiles thrown in class, had my classroom vandalized, property stolen and destroyed. None of these has happened in the last few years. Students will do what they believe they can get away with. Classroom discipline has to be firm if not "iron-fisted", and consequences for deviant behavior sure and swift. Other than that, I am willing to sit with any student and help them individually, even if they are not in my class. Most students really seem to appreciate being in a classroom where they feel safe and their property is not bothered. Those whose attention is easily diverted seem to appreciate not having someone constantly talking to them or touching them. And, if at all possible, get students' parents involved.
ReplyDeleteI like that you touched on the often scarier aspects of being a new teacher; one of the things I often worry about is how I will enact discipline in my future classroom.
DeleteI believe the best advice for new and prospective teachers is to watch good veteran teachers at work. When you do your student teaching, you spend a lot of time with that teacher and learn lots of valuable information, however, getting into classes of more than just that one teacher could prove extremely helpful. Every teacher is different, and they all approach teaching differently. Be sure to get an array of experiences under your belt. You can then take what you like and create your own unique style of teaching.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about the opportunity to teach in a classroom. I will be doing my student teaching starting in January and I am nervous and happy at the same time for this opportunity. I have been spending as much time in my daughter's Kindergarten class to learn as much as I can about the day to day activities and schedule in the classroom. I even signed up as Room Mom to help learn as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteI’m very excited about teaching, interacting with students--particularly with those who want to learn--, even learning from them, while at the same time I very much worry about discipline issues in the classroom, since I often hear that teachers, for the most part, are unable to impose discipline in the classroom, due to strict school policies, that for some reason, seem to favor the students. However, despite my concerns, I do try to keep positive about my career as a teacher, and hope that most students will learn to appreciate the value of an education, at least at some point during their school years.
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