As my first semester of graduate studies comes to a close, I
have been taking some time (very brief moments with all the exams I’m
completing) and thinking about where I am now from where I was just a few
months ago.
At the beginning of this year, I had no idea what teaching
English actually entailed other than what I had seen from my own teachers over
the years and figured out for myself. So here is a little of what I learned:
There are more resources available than I ever even imagined.
I am going to have technology savvy children coming into my door from day one
and I will be doing them a disservice if I do not continue to be a lifelong
learner and keep up with what they are using.
My wacky ideas and creativity are going to be an asset when
I begin to create lesson plans. Having a sense of fun can only make assignments
more exciting.
Students will respect an authoritative leader who is also
democratic. I was always afraid to be the “mean teacher,” but I know now that
students want some structure as long as it is fair.
I’ve been able to meet some incredible peers that I hope to
continue bouncing my thoughts off of as we all continue on our journey as
pre-service teachers and professors that I know I can trust to lead me on the
right path towards the best classroom I can possibly have. My first day of
substitute teaching was last week and I know that that experience along with my
graduate classes will cause me to have the most experiences and growth
possible. I can’t wait to see where I’ll be after a summer of more classes!
