Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year (2008-2009)

Mr. McClung's first post was after his first year of teaching, and he wrote this post to share what he learned. He lists seven things that he has learned. First, he addressed his misconception about who the lecture was actually for. In the beginning, he was so worried about how his superiors would evaluate him that he lost sight of the fact that the lesson was for the students. He also discusses how most teachers focus too much on delivering the content when they should be focusing on if the students comprehend the material, and he has grown a lot in this aspect. Second, he focuses on being flexible. Lessons aren't always going to go as planned so just go with the flow. Third, he discusses how communication in the workplace is essential. Fourth, he talks about setting reasonable goals for the students. Teachers can set high goals, but if the student doesn't achieve them then the teacher should be there to keep encouraging them instead of being disappointed in them. Fifth, he discusses something we know all too well from this class -- the importance of technology. Sixth, he discusses listening to the students. It's more important than most people think. Seventh, he talks about another thing we've learned throughout this class -- never stop learning.

I like the idea of teachers posting a reflection of their work at the end of each school year. It offers guidance to teachers who are just starting out. That is why I chose to read the post about his first year teaching. It offered some helpful advice such as making sure that the lessons focus on student comprehension. I feel like this is something that teachers can easily lose sight of when being constantly watched by administrators. This also ties into being flexible. Another one, that I found especially helpful, was about setting reasonable goals. Students are just that, students. They won't always achieve the high goals that we set for them. This doesn't mean that we should lower our expectations, though. If the students don't reach our high goals then it is our job to encourage them to continue trying. Also, listening to the students is something that often doesn't happen in a classroom. Especially the ones that I have been in. It is crucial to establish a good student teacher relationship, and this is partially done by listening. Then there are the two that this class has taught us all too well. The importance of technology and the want to never stop learning are re-enforced in this post. Finally, there is one that I never really thought about which is the need for communication in the workplace. I never thought about there being workplace drama. Obviously there is, though, and like most things in life, communication is key.

What I Learned This Year (2010-2011)

This post is about Mr. McClung's third year of teaching, and he discusses five of the things he has learned. First, it is all about the students. Don't get caught up in trying to please the administration when your focus should be on the students. Second, don't let the pessimism of others affect you. Always stay positive about change. Third, don't be afraid to not fit in especially if you don't fit in because you focus more on your students than pleasing other teachers. Fourth, don't try to take over when a student is having problems with an assignment because you will end up basically doing the assignment for them. If you take control then the student won't learn as much as they can from the assignment. Fifth, don't get comfortable. Comfort leads to apathy. When teachers get too set in their routines, they are more likely to fall victim to apathy. Teachers must find new ways to keep their careers moving forward.

What I've mainly taken away from both of these posts is that it is always about the students. Now, this isn't something new that I just learned by reading this. I've known this all along, but it is mainly what he keeps saying over and over again. No matter what the problem is, think about the students. Think about how what you do will effect the students in the long run. We want to be teachers because of the kids so our teaching should reflect that. That's pretty much what he learns every year, new ways to focus more on the students, and I can't wait to see what he has to say about this current school year.