Analyzing Huberman's Initial Years

Phase 3. In phase 3, participants either affirmed themselves as teachers or leave teaching. For those who remained in the profession, there are new concerns and challenges. This is the first phase teachers typically feels the boredom of routine for the first time (Huberman, 1989). Once a basic level of classroom mastery was achieved, Huberman found that there was a need for refinement and diversity. Those affirming their practices started to see they could achieve better results by diversifying their materials and modes of classroom management. Huberman found that diversification of materials often led participants to increased collaboration outside their own classrooms. Career-sequences after

together, using self-study to walk through doors of discovery about themselves, each other, and the

A life-span perspective suggests that qualitative and quantitative developmental changes occur across the life course, resulting in developmental discontinuity. Such developmental discontinuity implies the need for qualitatively different educational goals and instructional strategies at different life stages. For example, an educational focus on skill acquisition in childhood shifts to an emphasis on social application of such skills in young adulthood (Schaie & Willis, 1978). As such for Huberman’s life cycle of teachers, numerous developmental changes also continuously occur across the life course, for instance in the phase 2 of the stabilization period; where teachers tend to develop and further refine their instructional skills, followed

Teaching is an extremely important profession as we are responsible for training up the future generations of our community, country and in effect, the world. In order to be a successful and effective teacher there are some basic skills and competencies that one must possess. The experiences that students have inside (and outside) our classrooms, schools and various other institutes will shape and mould their approach to our subjects and to life in general. Therefore, it requires a certain level of skill and training to be deemed professionally fit to enter into this career path and even then, continuous

Going into the teaching profession has been my passion for quite some time now. Although teaching can have many different stereotypes and misconceptions, I still choose to continue towards this career. Every job has it’s own stereotypes and misconceptions. I currently work at a school, which has offered me a lot of on the job training for my future career. My current job has allowed me to see the different stereotypes and misconceptions that come along with the teaching career field. I am fortunate to already be working in my career field so I can prepare for the future stereotypes and misconceptions when I am a teacher of my own classroom.

In the research paper, Exploring Disparities Between Teachers’ Expectations and the Realities of the Educational Profession, Sunddip Panesar talks about first year teachers’ expectations before teaching and then the realties of the classroom. She also asks what factors are influencing their decision to stay or leave the profession. For her research she went to three schools in the school district of British Columbia, Canada in search for first year teachers. From those schools she chose 20 first year secondary teachers to interview for his study. When it came time to the interviews each person interviewed was greeted the same way and read the same questions, the only differences were the places and times of the interviews. The questions asked were opened ended which means that the participants could answer them any way they preferred. After each interview was completed they were reviewed and analyzed to group into themes. At the end they were grouped into eight main themes.

The twenty-five stories that are contained in the book, My First Year As A Teacher, are about real teachers and their experiences during the first year of teaching. Each story is different. Some are about memorable students while other stories are about some of the hardships that are encountered as a novice teacher. The diverse sampling of stories in this book gives insight of what kind of problems one might encounter as a teacher, yet they also describe how rewarding the profession can be. I found it rather difficult to choose only ten stories as my favorite but after much consideration and rereading I decided on the following stories because in many ways I could relate to the students as well as the teachers that are given life in these stories.

Roberta’s journey is a story that hits very close to home for me. My first year teaching was a disaster. I also cried every night, and I had to convince myself to go to work every day. After reading chapter 6 of The Principal’s Guide to Curriculum Leadership titled "Where the Action Is", I would consider myself having gone through arrested teacher development. “Arrested teacher development occurs when new or beginning teachers are left alone to determine their own way, to devise their own resources, to make decisions in isolation.” (pg. 130) New teachers need encouragement, role models, and mentors to help assist their first year of teaching. A new teacher is not prepared for the reality of a teaching job. “Just as teachers are responsible

As a student, I have been inspired by a few teachers at both my primary and secondary schools to seek an interest in the teaching profession. One year after finishing secondary school where I obtained most of my passes I took some time to reflect back on my twelve years at school and the few critical incidents that have cultivated my thinking about teachers and teaching. Some incidents were positive and others negative, but all assisted to shape the type of teacher I want to be in the future! A few critical incidents that shaped my thinking were the first time I came first in a class, the evening I approached the lackadaisical teacher and the day where I was escorted out of class.

When reflecting on the challenges that I face as a teacher, some major challenges quickly stand out. Such obstacles are overpopulated classrooms, excessive paperwork, and limited resources. Even though these challenges are the first that come to mind, they are not my biggest hurdles. The two most significant challenges to me are the restraints from time and balancing personal life and work.

My last few months before graduating, my goal was primarily to start my credential program. Especially, since I finally started following my dreams instead of what my parents had in store for me. I was observing Professor Amy Tien’s class, when her teaching style persuaded me that teaching is the choice for me.

As children, we absorb information and learn from experiences that mold us into who we are. Many individuals impact a child’s life, but the most powerful and influential role lies in a devoted teacher, a teacher provides growth to students as a gardener would to a garden of flowers. Each child can bloom into a thriving flower so long as you water their garden with optimism, love, patience, and guidance. Throughout my educational experiences I was lucky enough to have educators who poured their knowledge and optimism into me, and now I would like to reciprocate that back to students who are in the position I was once in. Balancing life and school is hard enough for a student, but a powerful and caring teacher can steer you in the right direction. In this autobiography you will read about my educational background, experiences that influenced my decision to become a teacher, and what I believe the role of a teacher should be in a student’s life.

Belinda. Belinda is the teacher who has the most experience among the five participants in this study. She has navigated her career path well because she also holds the highest degree among the participants a Specialist in Educational Leadership. Belinda describes her path to teaching as a default to her first choice of working as a computer programmer. She stated “I had no plans in college to become an educator”. She actually became a teacher because of a personal connection to a principal who knew her family and offered her a job to teacher computer skills to high school students. While she accepted graciously, her principal soon found out that she was certified in mathematics which was a higher demanding field. As I listen to her describe this story of becoming a math teacher three years later, I sensed no regrets.

At the end of my first pre-service teaching experience that April, I got the opportunity to sit down and realize that the teaching profession is a mystery, just like life; you will never know where the profession will take you, as well as what it will teach you.

The clock is ticking steadily along. The time is nearing. And then you hear it; enthusiastic, excited sounds of small people coming closer and closer. The next second they make their appearance. “Good morning, Miss!” they exclaim. Their faces are ecstatic and their smiles (with some missing teeth) are so big that you have to smile yourself. Backpacks, and lunch kits go in their proper places and the kids are out the door once more, to run off some more energy before the bell rings to start the day. Ready or not, teacher, a brand new day of school is about to begin.