Blog Post #9

Version 4 Post (2011-2012)

This blog post by Mr. McClung is a great example of how teachers are humans and easily make mistakes like everyone else. However, only a truly great teacher can recognize their own flaws, admit them, and plan on doing things differently in the future. Mr. McClung shows us in this post how the past school year was able to open his eyes and see things in a different light. In his blog post, Mr. McClung first describes how, for the first time, he became very concerned with his fellow educators thought of him, and whether or not they approved of his teaching methods. This is something that he never had an issue with because he always put the focus of his students having fun in learning above all other responsibilities. He realized that he had fallen victim to a sense of "peer pressure" and knew that it was time to remind himself of why he woke up and came to work everyday: to help children grow in a fun and constructive learning environment. Another problem that Mr. McClung saw in himself is that he finally noticed that he had become complacent with his use of the curriculum he was teaching. Instead of being creative and researching new ways to help keep each lesson fun and exciting so that the students would be engaged, he had become somewhat lazy and started recycling old lesson plans. When he remembered how much he resented school as a child and never enjoyed being a student, he knew that it was time to rekindle his fire for making learning fun and exciting. In the end of this post, Mr. McClung announced that he would be leaving the school at the end of that year to pursue an administrative position at another school. Although he was going to miss his students at his current school terribly, he was extremely excited to be taking on this position and to face new challenges.

Mr. Mclung's post stood out to me because I think that most educators are unable to see what they need to correct in themselves. It's easy to point out how students aren't putting forth their best effort, or how the school system won't invest in things that the classrooms need, but doesn't every great movement in a classroom begin with a great teacher? Just like a captain is the head of a ship, a teacher is the head of a classroom. If he or she is not being the leader in education (and, perhaps, in life) that these students deserve, how can he or she not expect to get results from his or her students that are anything short of terrible? This post has been helpful to me for my classroom in the future by pointing out mistakes that I might easily be tempted to make myself. Of course, it's easy to adapt to the mentality of needing your peers' and co-workers' approval on everything we do. Last time I checked, however, isn't it US who are ultimately rewarded with the joy our individuality and creativity bring our students? Yes, I thought so. Also, do we not see more positive results when we incorporate our schools and talents into our teaching skills? Last time I checked, students always become more engaged and eager to learn when a teacher tries their best to make lessons fun and exciting. These are two mistakes that are the snipers of creative and engaging learning, and I think they are more easily avoided when we turn our minds off of autopilot and fuel them back up with a key ingredient called passion. Unlike Mr. McClung, I do not presently have any desire to become an administrator (I do know that this could change at any time, though). However, I do admire his goals that he has set for himself, and I love that he is always looking forward to new challenges. This is the type of educator and person that I wish to be, and I hope that this same type of ambition will be contagious to my students. This blog post definitely gives some great advice to those hoping to become successful and effective teachers one day. It is something that I will definitely refer back to from time to time.

What I've Learned This Year (2008-09)

Mr. McClung's post here reflects on his first year of teaching, which started the previous fall. He explains how it was a great learning experience that he definitely received many important lessons on. In the beginning, Mr. McClung tells readers that he quickly realized that teaching was not all about him. He explains how he was so focused on himself, the delivery of the content, and what his peers thought of him, that he forgot how crucial it was to maintain student comprehension in his classroom. Flexibility is an aspect that Mr. McClung became very familiar with this year, as well. He explains that the lesson that you plan out and the one you actually demonstrate are always different, and he doesn't beat himself up anymore if a lesson doesn't go exactly the way he plans. The best thing to do, according to Mr. McClung, is to keep moving on, even when a lesson plan doesn't turn out just how you pictured it would. He also writes how communication has proven to be the most effective way to keep things running smoothly with your students and fellow instructors alike. Although this does seem pretty obvious, most people do not fully comprehend how much good communication can maintain order and balance in any working environment. He says that the best way to handle any issue with someone is to go to them and talk about it. Mr. McClung explains that being reasonable with the goals you set for your students is vital to their success in the future. While it is important to set goals for them, it is also important to remember that they are still kids at the end of the day. They can barely remember to do simple things at times, so keeping goals within their reach will be beneficial in helping them to never feel that they are incompetent. One part of this post that ties in greatly with what Dr. Strange is trying to teach us about technology is to never be afraid of it. Mr. McClung writes that while most educators are terrified of it, thinking it is out to make them miserable, it is actually here to help us succeed in the fast-paced world we live in today. He says that we should never knock it until we've at least given it a try. One of my favorite parts of this post is the part about listening to the student. Mr. McClung gives the example of how one of his students praised him at the end of the school year in a survey, writing, "I know my teacher cares about me as a person when he listens to what I say." He tells us that we, as educators, need to be more concerned and knowledgeable about the students that we are teaching, and not just feed them information. Mr. McClung concludes his post by explaining that when we are teachers, we should never stop learning with our students. He explains that we practically beg our students to learn what we are teaching them, but never take the time to soak up what is around us ourselves. He claims that we owe it to our students to become learners along with them.

There was so much truth to be found in what Mr. McClung says in this post that I could not be in more agreement with him. Teachers do, in my opinion, spend entirely too much time worrying about the delivery of the message and impressing their peers that student comprehension of the material ultimately becomes unimportant. To me, being a teacher without caring if the students are receiving anything beneficial from his or her classroom is absolute insanity. Any good educator should always put the needs of the child much higher above the image that they are creating for their peers, although it is good to keep a sense of professionalism without the expense of the child's learning experience. When it comes to being flexible, I feel that I may have some issues in this area more so than others. By nature, I always try to be organized and neat in everything that I do, and always have some form of a plan in mind. I will admit that I have slightly freaked out a little in the past over various things not going at all according to plan, which is why I am thankful for this portion of the post. It serves as a great reminder that things will usually never go the way that I plan them once I am actually in the classroom teaching, but it doesn't mean that I have been a failure. I am still a human, and when I make mistakes, it doesn't have to be the end of the world. If the students have learned and had fun doing so, I have succeeded in some way. Communication is something that can make or break a situation in the long run, and I feel that it is a major element in any successful classroom, school, and any other working environment. Unfortunately, I recently have fallen victim to drama in the workplace myself (I just said I was human and make mistakes, remember?). Because of this, however, I now have a greater appreciation for effective communication, and I know how important it is to try to communicate with someone when there is an issue of any kind. Even if you are the person in the wrong, taking the first step in communicating with someone, and having the right attitude about it, can quickly resolve most issues. Keeping reasonable goals within reach of your students is also something that I feel teachers should keep in mind at all times. Being reasonable with setting goals for your students is very important in allowing them to try hard without as much of a fear of failure. It is easy to forget that students are children; they make messes, forget things, and do not always do things the right way. Let's remember that we were just like this when we were young, so meeting them on their level and setting goals for them that are actually attainable are important when keeping them from feeling that they are not prone to failure. The fear of technology that Mr. McClung discusses is something that is not unfamiliar to me. I always imagined myself as a teacher who would stick to tradition and would never become efficient in technology. Thankfully, however, I now see things in a much brighter light. I have learned so much from this class that will benefit me not only in the world of education, but in many other areas, as well. It has helped me so much in this class, and I cannot wait to help my students develop a love and appreciation for technology like I have found. It will definitely make succeeding in this microwave-fast world very easy. When it comes to listening to students, I love the example that he used of his student's survey answer at the end of the year. Students can tell which teachers truly care about them and which ones are only there to collect a paycheck. Listening and paying attention to the needs of individual students will not only help engage them in the curriculum, but will allow them to have a great leader in their life that they can trust. Some of these children have no one else like this. The conclusion to this post sums up what all instructors should always aim to do, and that is be learners along with their students. I think one major problem a lot of educators encounter is that they try to let their students do all the learning while they sit back and watch them. If we are supposed to lead by example, shouldn't we always demonstrate a willingness to learn so that the students will be encouraged to do the same? I believe we should. It also never hurts to always be in search of knowledge for our personal gain, as well. People are never to old to learn anything, and it can only benefit us in the long run. This post had a wide variety of good lessons to be learned not only for educators, but for people in general. I hope that at the end of my first school year as an educator, I can look back and see how I've grown as a person, as well.