Wow! This first week of school has been truly busy, and next week will be even busier! I return on Monday to a middle school to be an AVID tutor/para. I worked at this middle school last semester with the 8th graders and I absolutely love working there! I wouldn't mind at all if I was hired there in the future as a teacher. Anyway, I am so excited to meet this new group of kids and learn more from the teachers that work there. I met with my CT this week, and I can already tell that she is a great teacher and I will learn a lot from her. She is so organized and has everything planned out in detail and weeks ahead of time. Even her emails to me about her class schedule and the days and times that she was available were very thorough, descriptive, and organized. Since organization is not my strongest point, I am thankful to have a mentor with this trait so that I can learn much needed organization techniques. (Without improving my organization, I am certain I will not live a happy life as a teacher). We talked for awhile about what my daily duties may be and she graciously answered my many questions. She assured me that she was happy to share her students with me and wanted me to be involved as much as I could. This made me feel at ease because I know that I learn better from experience than observation. Also, some teachers are reluctant give the education student a daily part in the classroom. I am glad to know that this will not be the case. I also met with another teacher in the classroom who was my CT's colleague. He was very friendly and interesting and had equally interesting shoes. These teachers made me feel at ease and welcome. I was very impressed with the school and the teachers that work there, and I know that I will have a great experience as a pre-student teacher!
As for my goals this semester, they are basic but essential for my success. Last semester, I almost went crazy because of the lack of these simple goals. I had them as a child, but lost them in high school. I had always got by decently without them but have always been so stressed because of it. Now that I'm going to be a teacher and for the sake of my sanity and my future students, its time to regain them again. 1. It is time to be more organized. I will get a planner and write down in black and white what is due and when. Last year my method of remembering was a note I had written somewhere in my notebook. (Not a good method). 2. I will stop procrastinating forever. Last semester I waited until the last minute to do assignments which really stressed me out, made all my assignments pile up at once, and consequently I did not learn as much as I could have. (Hey, I'm improving this blog was sent in an hour before the deadline!) In all seriousness, though, it is vital for a teacher to be prepared for everything well in advance in order for the class to run smoothly and to be a good example to the students. Organization and preparedness are a must for a teacher to practice, and I will practice these traits continually in order to be a success for myself and my future students. 3. I will read more. Last semester, I read only what I was assigned. This semester I will read a text or novel of my choice in addition to what is assigned in class. Every time I finish one I will start another. I really do enjoy reading, but I find I have to still push myself to sit down to read because I am distracted so much by everything else in life. It is so important for a teacher to read so that he/she not only practices what he/she preaches, but never closes the mind to learning and discovery.
My goals as a future teacher are to never stop learning, to instill a love of learning in my students, to always keep my students engaged in what they are learning, to care for the student as a learner as well as an individual, and of course to always be prepared and organized. If I meet these goals, I know that I will be happy every day to be a teacher!
Thanks for this honest post, Miranda, and for your detailed goals! Finding time for personal/pleasure reading can be a challenge for pre-service and in-service teachers, and I'm so glad you've made that a priority for yourself. As you'll see in the Burke text, it's important for English teachers to be readers themselves (and to read alongside their students during silent reading).
ReplyDeleteIn my years of teaching, I've found that if I make time for personal reading before bed on the weekdays (even just 10-20 minutes) and then carve out some time on the weekends, I'm able to keep up with my personal reading and (most of) my professional reading.
I also commend you on your goals for organization and avoiding procrastination. Keep us posted on the strategies you develop to achieve all of your goals!