In order for me to meet the requirements of “the maximum for each question is one page,” I must first share how unique my situation is and how beneficial Fundamentals in Methodology and the book “Excellent 11” are to me at this time. I am pursuing teaching as a second career, after spending over a decade in corporate American and over 12 years as a stay home mom, school and church volunteer. I was encouraged to become a certified teacher by a friend who an educator and entrepreneur in her own right. It was my friend, Sheila Newton-Moses, who took me to Saint Peters University, introduced me to Dr. Doria and encouraged me to do this. I am now finishing the second semester in the program and am very excited at the prospect of teaching. I was recently put to the test of how prepared I am for a career in teaching. Half-way through Fundamentals in Methodology, I was called to substitute a pre-k, class with 30 students. Thirty, 3 and 4 year olds! I began this assignment without any time to prepare before entering the classroom. Upon entering the classroom, realized how deficient the classroom was. I had already started reading the book “Excellent 11” and knew that the classroom was a critical component in teaching. Just to give an example of what I type deficient; there were thirty students, but only 20 had coat lockers with bench. Ten of the students had little cubes that could barely hold their coat. There were no developed centers, there were some blocks on a
The differences were connected with a teacher’s original preparation for the teaching profession, licensing in the particular subject area to be taught, strength of the educational experience, and the degree of experience in teaching along with the demonstration of abilities through the National Board Certification, in which all of these facets can be addressed through policy (Darling-Hammond, 2010).America has not produced a national method containing supports and reasons to guarantee that teachers’ are adequately prepared and equipped to teach all children effectively when they first enter into the career of teaching. America also does not have a vast collection of methods available that will maintain the evaluation and continuing development of a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom, or support decisions about entry into the field of teaching and the continuance in the profession of teaching (Darling-Hammond, 2010). n order to reach the belief that all students will be taught and learn to high standards calls for a makeover in the methods our system of education in order to be a magnet for, train, support or uphold, and cultivate effective teachers in more efficient ways. A makeover that is contingent in a certain degree of how the abilities or skills are comprehended (Darling-Hammond, 2010).In the last few years there has been increasing
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
As a future middle school teacher, I know I have much to learn. I have to learn how to effectively make engaging lesson plans that meet the academic standards of my content, I have to educate myself on how to efficiently and promptly determine all of my student’s different learning styles and motivation, and I have to learn how to professionally build classroom management and a safe classroom environment, while still developing a sincere relationship with my students. However, of all the things I still need to learn, there is just as much that I have already learned which has helped build and strengthen my beliefs on what I believe a middle school teacher is and my responsibility as such.
When I was gaining my Bachelor’s Degree, the key statement throughout my journey through the education program was “I will continue to be a lifelong learner.” As I finalized this program I have reached this goal, and this will continue throughout my journey as a teacher as I become involved with more and more school and district based county activities through which I can use the theories, methods, and strategies I have learned throughout this program. In general, it is best, as Goldhammer (69) stresses, to avoid critical dissection of teaching. Too much criticism and
As I started my undergraduate journey, I never thought I would end up where I am now. When I entered college, I thought that my degree in chemistry would be a stepping-stone on the way to medical school. My one and only goal, at the start of college, was to work as hard as I could to ensure that I would one day become a doctor. However, along the way I figured out that medical school was not where my passions lie.
The Framework for Teaching by Charlotte Danielson has been developed through research as a guideline for current and future teacher’s professional responsibilities in and out of the classroom. Districts throughout the country are using this framework to assess and guide their teachers to build successful methods of planning and preparations, setting up the classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities. Each of these domains builds off of each other to form a successful learning environment. Domain 3 focuses more specifically on instruction using communication, discussions, engagement, assessments and flexibility.
My decision to be a teacher did not come easily to me. This choice was dependent on a reflection about what I was passionate about and how I could make a difference. I have chosen to become a teacher, as I believe teachers have the ability to provide future generations the stimulation for one of the most significant roles in life; to become a lifelong learner. Many teachers that I have had during my education have had a positive impact on my decision to grow and develop the skills that are fundamental to pursue a successful teaching career. My aim is to be a part of an honorable profession with the optimism that one day I will become an efficacious teacher who can provide future teachers with inspiration, as my teachers have provided for me. Through personal educational experiences and peer-reviewed academic literature, I am able to shape my approach to my pre-service teaching, as it will influence my future practice. As a teacher, there is not just one singular approach to educating students; there is a need for flexibility, diversity, adaptation and reflection.
One of my fondest passions is learning about the human body. I find the inner mechanisms of the human body to be extremely intriguing – the ability for so many intersecting faculties to form a cohesive, high-functioning organism is truly astounding. I am currently majoring in the Honours Behaviour, Cognition and Neuroscience program at the University of Windsor and throughout my time studying, I have developed a greater sense of not only the human brain, but the physiological and biological mechanisms involved throughout the entire body. I have been able to apply this knowledge throughout my experiences as a teaching assistant for multiple undergraduate courses. My role as a teaching assistant allows me to apply my knowledge of the human body
I learned quickly that being an effective teacher is an art that takes time and devotion. Many times, teachers are not provided with the necessary materials in order to maintain the various learning styles in a classroom. It is up to the teacher to create an environment where students can succeed. This is a full time job, meaning that a teacher’s work is not done once they leave the school. A teacher must contribute a significant amount of time and effort in order to see positive results in the school and in his or her own classroom. After observing my cooperating teacher’s strategies and learning more about the profession, I knew that I was going in the right direction with my life. I took a significant amount of knowledge away from this experience and have continued to strive to be the type of educator that I was blessed to work with during this experience. .
I am attending Concord College to further my education. After graduating with an Elementary Education Degree, I would like to teach in an elementary school in Southern West Virginia. Preferably, I would like to teach in a kindergarten environment. While teaching I plan to further my career with a Master’s degree. I would like to be able to reach those children that aren’t as fortunate as others. As a teacher I will not only teach the children, but they in turn, will teach me. Education is one of the most important aspects to the success of the country. It is important for everyone to feel a part of that success; therefore, I feel strongly about teaching students to succeed.
Ideally, when I graduate, I would like to enter the credential program at Cal Poly Pomona. As an English Education major, I feel like this is the next logical step for me as I seek to move forward on my path of becoming a teacher. The opportunities that await me in the credential program truly excite me because I have always found my studies of English Education to be very rewarding and purposeful. I have found this to be especially true now because I am currently in the process of conducting observation hours at local high schools in Pomona as part of my English Education curriculum. When I am in the classroom, I immediately feel a sense of joy, purpose, and productivity. Outside of the classroom, I do have experience teaching as a leader for a club on campus; I am a Woman’s Bible Study Leader for Cal Poly Cru and I have found this experience of teaching college students to be the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experience I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. It can become overwhelming as doubts and deadlines tend to sneak in on me from time to time, but I know that being a teacher is worth every ounce of pressure because of the positive impact that a teacher has the ability to make on a student. There is an incredible statistic that states that “On average a teacher affects 3,000 children over the course of their career” (Bickley). This opportunity stirs my heart like nothing else because when I was in high school, I had an incredible teacher named
I teach deliberately, and this deliberate teaching yields huge dividends—student successes. Not among the throngs of teachers who quip, “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” I teach because, through youth volunteer work in 1985, I began experiencing a feeling of, what some might say, a “calling” to teach. I had already established my career path as a nurse, and the thought of up-rooting my family and returning to college seemed ridiculous! After all, I had a good job. However, the satisfaction experienced through my volunteering did not rear its head in my nursing job, and I slowly began to realize that I had missed my “calling.” Consequently, after much soul-searching, I returned to college and set my sails toward a career path in teaching. However, I soon discovered that teaching was not simply to be my career. Teaching is my life, my passion, and—the fire that burns in my belly and spreads to my students. I am a teacher by choice not by chance. My attitude in the classroom bleeds my passion for teaching, engulfs my students with possibilities, and transports my excitement for my subject matter. Simply put, I am an effective teacher because I teach deliberately with conviction.
As a future teacher, it is extremely important to get as much experience in the classroom as possible in order to be ready to teach without assistance after graduation. By having 20 hours of observation the two semesters before entering the education program, it is beneficial to experience life in the classroom, reflect on the things learned, and one day be able to implement them into one’s own classroom one day. This paper will discuss my personal experience in my field placement and connect it to what I have learned in the EDUC 2130 class. During my observation times, I learned many things, including but not limited to, effective classroom management techniques and diversity throughout the classroom.
Going through this course and reading about what to expect and what to do when you become a teacher has been very beneficial, however it was no comparison to actually going to an Elementary School and experiencing first-hand what a teacher encounters every day. Being able to see the techniques they use, how they implement discipline and how they interact with the students makes it feel even more real. The best part was actually being able to dive in and help the lead teacher in the classroom. There were times when I would say to myself, “How cool, I just read about this!” I admit, there were some tough days and I began to reconsider if this was what I really wanted to do, but when it came to the end of my twenty hours working with the children in my classroom I realized that it was all worth it and I still miss them dearly!
Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve