First Year Teacher

Becoming a first year teacher can be very scary and nerve wrecking at the same time. The reason why I say this is because you do not know what to expect. You have to go around asking all of the veteran teachers how was their first year and this begin to get you even more nervous.  Below is a nice check list to help you become a successful teacher.

·         Admit your mistakes -- and learn from them.

·         Be firm but flexible.

·         Communicate with parents.

·         Develop a homework policy -- and stick to it.

·         Empower your students; don't just lecture to them.

·         Find time to attend after-school events.

·         Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries.

·         Have the courage to try something else if what you're doing isn't working.

·         Institute a clear discipline policy -- and enforce it consistently.

·         Just listen -- both to what the kids are saying and to what they're not saying.

·         Keep a journal.

·         Learn your school's policies and procedures.

·         Model desired attitudes and behavior.

·         Non carborundum ignorami. (Don't let the imbeciles wear you down.)

·         Overplan.

·         Prepare interesting lessons.

·         Quit worrying and just do your best.

·         Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned.

·         Stay alert.

·         Take pictures.

·         Understand that the learning process involves everyone -- teachers, students, colleagues, and parents and get everyone involved.

·         Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don't be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you.

·         Work within your limits.

·         Xpect the unexpected -- and plan for it!

·         Yell if you need support.

·         Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember -- nobody's perfect!)

hhttp://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr152.shtml

Finals

Finals are slowly approaching this week and getting prepared for them has been very hectic. I feel like I have been scrambling all over the place trying to study. I always feel pressured around this time of the year, no matter if he test are hard or easy. Finals put more pressure on me than they should. Studying for finals are the hardest simply because I become distracted easily. There are multiple of times when I am stressed just thinking about studying. I have no idea why I let myself become so worried because once I get the test I feel another way. The only time I think that I become intimidated is when I think about anything pertaining to math. I know that I can pass and do whatever it is that I need to if I continue to push myself. It is just something about the word FINAL that gets me nervous. 

http://college.usatoday.com/2014/12/08/25-crucial-study-tips-for-finals-week/

Teacher and Student Relationships

Becoming a teacher has a lot of great experiences, from good to bad. In the education field there are many times when you become attached to your students, but this does not mean that you show favoritism towards them. I think that students often have an impact on you that makes you want to keep going and become very motivated. I know there will be times where I will be playing the parent role to quite a few of my students. Sometimes you have to be their role model because they do not have that inside of their homes.  I does not matter what the situation is, they are always looking.  Each and every day it is something different about them and this is called growth. It makes me very happy and joyful seeing our youth bIoom. By showing students that level of security it makes them comfortable and this is how you begin to make that teacher/ student connection.   

http://www.csun.edu/~acc50786/Education.html

Effective teaching

Being an effective teacher comes with a lot of characteristics. When being an effective teacher you must be sure that you are connecting with all of your students. Not only does an effective teacher enjoy teaching, but also makes a difference within a classroom setting.  As an effective teacher we must be sure to make everything clear and precise when teaching.  Effective teacher’s makes a difference by, giving the students one hundred percent of their time, being organized, open minded and much more. Effective teaching makes a tremendous change in each and every one of the students in a positive way. I want to be that teacher that my students can always depend on no matter what. Another thing I think that is a part being an effective teacher is when your students remember who you are no matter how old they are.  Another characteristic of an effective teacher is connecting with the parents to inform them on what is going on inside of the classroom.  Parents should also be aware on whatever it is that’s going on, form the lesson to the child’s behavior.


http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/11-habits-effective-teacher

TSI Testing

While getting my application ready to be accepted into the education program I noticed one thing, I had to take the reading portion of the TSI. When I noticed that I had to take this portion I then began to get discouraged. I not only became discouraged but also frustrated. I called my mom because she’s the only person that could calm me down at the moment. I was upset because I found out at the last minute. I would normally be prepared but this time I was not. Before taking the TSI you must be well rested before going to take it. When I sat down at the computer I felt very confident but no less than thirty minutes later I felt myself getting a bit tired. That is when I noticed I had to get up and walk around for a while. This was my career that I was putting on the line, so I did whatever it took to get through this test.  

Here's a link to help you better your test taking skills. 

https://casc.byu.edu/testtaking-strategies

My Teaching Philosophy

“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in every way,” George Evans. My philosophy on teaching is, I believe that education is one of the most important things that you need in life. No matter how old you are it is never too late to challenge your brain. As a future educator I will never stop trying to learn new materials, simply because I want to be able to share my knowledge to others. In order for my students to succeed I must give them my all and be the best that I can be. When becoming a teacher you must get to know your students and learn what kind of learner they are. People learn at different paces and I will have to adjust to that as a professional. There are multiple methods of teaching and I will project them in my classroom, this is a way of becoming diverse. Diversity is an essential part of a classroom setting, if you are not diverse in this generation it will be hard for you to reach all of the students in your classroom. 

Here is a website with many different teaching quotes. If you have a quote of your own this would be a helpful resource to get an idea to come up with one. When using a quote you can portray them in your work environment each day when teaching.

 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_teacher.html

Google

Before entering the course Engl3043 I did not know that Google had so many resources. I was actually amazed when I finally got a chance to try them. There is no need to purchase Microsoft when you are using Google, which is a major plus. In college there are times when you can’t afford much due to different situations. I must say that I love the fact that my teacher has taken this into consideration and has given us other options to do the work that needs to be done. Not only did I learn something new, but I have also shown others around me. Showing my peers this has made their day. The saying “you learn something new every day” is very much true. I would encourage anyone to become familiar with this site and put it to use when it’s needed. In this course I have learned so much and I will continue to use this when becoming an educator. 

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl