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Reflective teaching. The magical, creative-non-fiction account of life in the classroom as both a teacher and a student.
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I just realized that my last post was describing an event that would change my entire life.
I didn't get the nanny position that I was applying for. But I kept applying. I kept praying. Then, one day, I got an unsolicited message from a mother, whom I will refer to as Mrs. Friend, with a child who has special needs. She wanted to know if she could interview me to keep her boys. I agreed, and went to the interview.
While there, I was introduced to five practically perfect little boys who immediately stole my heart. Ranging in age from 12 to 2 years old, and with totally different personalities, I was feeling unsure of myself. My self-esteem had been so badly bruised that I wasn't sure I could do it. But their mother trusted me, and I accepted the part-time position, informing their mom that I was still going to be looking for full-time employment.
I had so much fun keeping the boys. The two year-old and the four year-old spent many, many hours in my care. We played tons of games, sang hundreds of songs, and had too much fun. Then one day, Mrs. Friend told me, "You're so goof with children. Why don't you apply at my kids's school? I think they really need someone." I automatically felt that this would be of little use. How could such a prestigious, incredible school want someone who hadn't even been teaching for three full years? The school had received hundreds of applications for teachers before they were even finished with the building. They only wanted the best. But Mrs. Friend kept encouraging me. I finally did it. I printed out my resume, out on a dress, and drove to the school.
When I was getting dressed, I had no idea that the school's principal was in her office meeting with other administrators. They'd come to conclude that they needed additional help. They needed a part-time teacher to teach a single sixth grade class and to provide mandatory educational services for some of their students with special needs. But such a teacher was hard to find. Only someone meeting the requirements of state certification in both Elementary Education and Exceptional student education could be used. Additionally, they only wanted someone with a student-centered heart. So far, they hadn't found what they were looking for.
After the meeting, one of the administrators went out to the front lobby to provide some relief for the receptionist. While there, a woman with a short afro walked in carrying a sheet of paper. She smiled as she approached the front desk and said that she was interested in a position with the school. The next morning, she was asked for an immediate interview.
I was that woman.
What began as a part-time position became a full-time position. I spent my first year as an exceptional student education teacher learning from the best in an environment where teachers expected the best from their students and even voluntarily spent dozens of extra hours working each week. I spent the remainder of the school year praising God for such an incredible school and such wonderful students.
A few minutes ago, I offered to take two Mrs. Friend's boys to a movie that she wanted to see with them herself, but is sick and in need of rest. Mrs. Friend has become just that, a friend. My life at the time I wrote that last post was filled with uncertainty but it was also filled with faith in God's power and faithfulness. He has blessed me more than I had ever even considered I would be blessed.
No matter what you're facing, no matter the difficulty you're experiencing, God has the power to help you. But he's not Santa Claus. Often, he refrains from working miraculously in order to encourage our submission to him. While submitting can be very difficult, it's necessary. I'm glad that I submitted my will to God's.
That first little stage of cognition is probably one of the most important. it forms the foundation upon which everything else learned must stand.
I've met so many children in my life whose lives would probably have been a lot better if I had just met them earlier. It's hurtful to meet a child who is already feeling defeated or one who has already given up on life success before their life has even truly started. It's especially hurtful when you realize that if you had been able to, you could have been the one to make things better for them.
I know myself, and I'm usually very honest with me about me. I know that I adore children and love helping them to feel good about themselves. I know that I am not the kind of person who will hurt a child. I have the education and skills necessary to be a positive influence in the life of little people.
So, I'm going to try something new. Why not use the goods I've got to help someone start off life right? I realize that Elementary education is NOT the same as Early Childhood education. But the core of educational philosophy remains generally the same no matter the student's age. To supplement my education, I have taken it upon myself to learn the aspects of early childhood with which I'm not currently familiar.
I've got an interview tomorrow for a nanny position. I truly can't think of much that would be a more appropriate career choice for someone with my personality. Let's see how things go.
Today, Sir Coolman showed me an image of a curly-headed boy. He was sitting on the floor, at home, a skinny picture book in his hands. He was trying, and failing, to whisper read the words in the book, which looked to be at about a second grade level. But he was no second grade child. He was a middle school student. I could see that because he had plenty of items labeled with his school's name.
"You see that young man, dear?"
"Yes," I told him.
"Well, there are another 30 million like him, not all in America's united states, have you; but still just as much in need."
"It's so sad."
Sir Coolman glared at me. "Well, that's a cop-out way of referring to this poor child's condition."
"What did you want me to say? At least he has cool clothes?"
Sir Coolman's emotions flared, but he quickly calmed himself. "What I expected you to say was that you wanted to help in some way."
"Of course I would like to help him, and all the others. But I'm just one person."
He smiled. "Yes, I can both count and compare values, darling. You are one person, but you have the power to reach as many struggling readers as you desire."
"Oh? What, did you come with a wand I never noticed before?" I laughed.
"You don't need a wand, dear. You're a storyteller. And storytellers have a source of power stronger than any wand: your mind."
I was feeling goofy, so we went back and forth for a while. But I couldn't get his words out of my head. So, I decides to act.
Believe me, you'll want to check back soon.
I have been VERY busy. Sir Coolman and I have not even had much face time. When I realized that my last post here had been in May, I was floored! But I have probably the best excuse possible: God is enriching my life, and that means that there are more ways to be useful.
Of the projects I'm engaged in at the moment, one deals directly with children's literature. I have been given the OK to begin development of a children's section of the online
Ganga Library. This multilingual, non profit organization is dedicated to providing information about Alfred Nobel and the laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize. While still in its beginning stages, the interactive library already has dozens of biographies, video links, and organized categories to help users in finding the information they need. The organization is headed by several notable individuals, including its director, Dr.
R.V. Nagaveni M.D., M.S.. Up until now, most of the information the library provides has been written for an audience of educated adults. But that will change when I add a large collection of child-friendly content. By the time I'm done, kids, teachers, and the general public will have a really great source of information that is accessible to most readers, especially the smaller ones.
Check back for updates on this awesome site!
There are two versions of this post: a short version and a full version. If you want the short version, scroll down to the last paragraph.
Here is the full version:
Earlier, while I lounged and allowed my face to melt from a lack of energy, Sir Coolman's face clouded over my tablet screen. I was not happy to see it, and I pretended as if I'd already been in the process of turning the tablet off.
The TV turned on. The ancient TV I'd unplugged years ago for fear of a fire, but never thrown out, was well-lit. His concerned face stared at me from behind the thick glass that hadn't shown anything for about ten years. "Ok, so you might not get a teaching job this school year. With school closings, you might not even get one this calendar year. Maybe not in the next five years."
"Thanks for making me feel hopeful," I shot back. "You think this is easy for me? I'm the one living it. I'm the one who actually has to feel like the failure here!"
He sighed as he allowed his face to glow with one of his heart-tickling smiles. It looked like it could have been cleverly-disguised resolution. "You know, I never told you, but you really taught me a few things in the time that I have known you."
"Oh, really?" I made a strong point of enhancing my sarcasm with the thickest mellow-drama I could produce. I didn't feel like enduring another of his revelations. I was content with my suffering.
He didn't pick up this hint, and his excitement only increased. "Absolutely! Perhaps the most profound reality of which you have made me aware is this fact: you are not meant to be a paperweight."
Somehow, I was expecting more than that from the wise mind of Sir Coolman. "Really? I'm here feeling like a flounder on the bottom of life's murky little slime-infested pond, and you're telling me I wouldn't make an acceptable version of an object created with the purpose of pairing with gravity to keep things in one place?"
"That's a lovely way of putting it!" he beamed. "You see, for two hundred years, my main task was somewhat similar to what you have just described. I was a dust collector. I sat in the attic of an estate and acted as a magnet for small particles...well, my mirror did, as I'm sure you're aware."
I was aware. But I was also aware that Coolman was really opening up. After years of prodding, he'd never told me about the things that had happened to him while trapped within that mirror. I was touched. But I couldn't let go of my prideful need to appear not to care. "Go on."
"Well, that time was...it was difficult for me. I was somewhere, yet nowhere. I could think, but couldn't speak. I seemed to be constructed mainly of potential energy, but for my ability to think. One particular thing I used to think of was myself."
I laughed. "That sounds about right."
"I don't mean that I would think about myself as an entire being. I'd think of my physical existence. For example, one day, I felt like pointing towards what I thought was something in all the darkness I was trying to comprehend. As with the common act of physically pointing to something, I expected to see my hand, finger outstretched and targeting the physical location of the entity I was trying to sense. But there was no hand there. There was only a thought about a hand, about what had once been there."
Here he paused. He looked pitiful and far away, like a child who has just realized that the joyful promise given by an adult is not going to be kept after all. I'd never seen him that way. He had my attention locked and m pulse elevated before he began speaking again. "And there was its excruciating absence. The absence was too much for me to even attempt consuming as my reality. So I began focusing on what could be there. I started to think about my hand, it's size, where it would hang if I stood, the heaviness it would place on the rest of my body. I began to be aware of what I would experience with the hand if it was actually there. Day and night, I thought about it. After years of doing this, I don't even know how long or exactly when it happened, I realized that my thoughts had solidified into something tangible. They had solidified into a hand."
Because of my personality, I immediately placed myself in his position as he told me his story. I felt the cold, the loss of direction and self. I felt the darkness and the fury of my mind to fight it. It was a feeling of hopelessness and despair. But from the midst of this deep sorrow, the emergence of a particle of self was like a light too bright for human eyes. It was too much. I refocused on Coolman's words. "That hand had been so ingrained into my consciousness that it was. It was just as real as if it had been physically there. I was eventually able to move it at joints that I had imagined. Once I realized that it was there to stay, I realized that I could think up more to my existence than what my senses were telling me. I realized that I could make the reality I was willing to build."
He told me about building his body, the trauma of regenerating his face from memories of his father and mother. He told me of the way he was able to construct a place for his body to exist and later the entire castle. He told me about the joy of details such as the golden pinwheel-shaped doorknobs that lead to the bathrooms, and the hovering carpets that cover the living room floors. I'd seen all of these things throughout the castle every time I'd accepted his invitation. So I wondered, since I could see it, when it had actually been converted into reality. "When did it turn into physically observable entities that could be observed by others. After all, I can see your palace. I can see it, hear the echos of my shoes as I walk through the stone hallways. I can even smell it. So there has to be some point when it began to physically exist."
"It's exists with those same building blocks I first used ages ago. There was no magic spell or powder used to "solidify" anything. But those things were never built within the laws of physics, so their potential to be observed exists beyond the guidelines of physics. You see them because the depth of their reality exceeds beyond physical limits...I am happy to tell you that you possess the same power to create."
"You were not made to be a paperweight. You are a bountiful source of potential energy. I've seen what you have to offer, and it's amazing. The world is already a better place because you're in it; but it's going to be an incredible place if you fulfill your purpose. Yes, you have some issues. So did I. Even though it took me quite a while, I was able to create the reality I wanted. With God on your side, nothing is impossible.
I didn't even care anymore about the tears rolling down my face. "That, is one of the nicest things you've ever said."
He smiled at me, love gushing from his own eyes. "So, I suppose that leaves me with one question: Are you going to sulk, or are you going to rise to the occasion?"
I realize that it's been two full years since I last posted. Think about all that's happened in those two years? Think of how many teachers have come and gone in that time frame, perhaps because they needed some of what I have to give. After thinking, I decided to do something about it.
Here's the short version:
So now, at Sir Coolman's urging, I face this screen and type. Despite years of just sitting here, I am now awake. What lies before me is not an easy task by any means. It's riddled with self-doubt, challenges, and trials. But a new flower bed is riddled with dirt and potential before it blooms. I want to watch my works blossom into a garden of usefulness. Please, will you share this journey with me?
Sitting in a room erupting with supplies and materials is a dream for many teachers around the world. So, I am grateful for these resources. But organizing them is a challenge for me. I have a habit of overdoing the complexity involved within a system of organization. This is a habit, however, which I cannot allow to disrupt my ability to prepare for the fast-approaching school year.
Sir Coolman and I did something we hadn't in a very long time. I crept into my closet, tapped the back, and watched the plain wall transform into the doorway of the unseen room. Once inside, I rambled through its contents to locate some kind of resource that could help me.
So far, one of the best resources I've found is the book Every Teachers Guide to Classroom Management, by Alice Terry. I bought the book for either $0.25 or $0.50 from a book fair at the library. But it's value is priceless. Charts, illustrations, and lists make it simple to to use without forcing me to actually READ it. I like it. I hope my own experiences can one day be so helpful.
Sitting in a room erupting with supplies and materials is a dream for many teachers around the world. So, I am grateful for these resources. But organizing them is a challenge for me. I have a habit of overdoing the complexity involved within a system of organization. This is a habit, however, which I cannot allow to disrupt my ability to prepare for the fast-approaching school year.
Sir Coolman and I did something we hadn't in a very long time. I crept into my closet, tapped the back, and watched the plain wall transform into the doorway of the unseen room. Once inside, I rambled through its contents to locate some kind of resource that could help me.
So far, one of the best resources I've found is the book Every Teachers Guide to Classroom Management, by Alice Terry. I bought the book for either $0.25 or $0.50 from a book fair at the library. But it's value is priceless. Charts, illustrations, and lists make it simple to to use without forcing me to actually READ it. I like it. I hope my own experiences can one day be so helpful.
Fresh from sleep, I had no idea just how wild this day would be.
I drove to work at my new job. Being the first day of work, I was excited. But who rang but Sir Coolman. "You know, dear, I am as happy and excited as you are; I must remind you, however, that you are under a certain obligation." I hadn't even thought of it
My heart was torn. I dearly love both places. I fell in love so quickly with my new school. Apparently, they felt the same way, and my news was met with sorrow. But I still love my old school as well. They were overjoyed, cheering and clapping when they found out that I would be coming back, even before I got there!
In the end, all is well. I am back at Golfview, where I spent some of the most wonderful years in the field of education. I'm teaching second grade. I'm so happy, and I am incredibly blessed. I thank God for all he's done!!
Fresh from sleep, I had no idea just how wild this day would be.
I drove to work at my new job. Being the first day of work, I was excited. But who rang but Sir Coolman. "You know, dear, I am as happy and excited as you are; I must remind you, however, that you are under a certain obligation." I hadn't even thought of it
My heart was torn. I dearly love both places. I fell in love so quickly with my new school. Apparently, they felt the same way, and my news was met with sorrow. But I still love my old school as well. They were overjoyed, cheering and clapping when they found out that I would be coming back, even before I got there!
In the end, all is well. I am back at Golfview, where I spent some of the most wonderful years in the field of education. I'm teaching second grade. I'm so happy, and I am incredibly blessed. I thank God for all he's done!!
I got it! That's right, I am a newly employed woman!!!! I am happy to say that I was presented with the second grade teaching position at an AMAZING school! I'm so excited!
I got it! That's right, I am a newly employed woman!!!! I am happy to say that I was presented with the second grade teaching position at an AMAZING school! I'm so excited!
Since the summer began, I've been engaged in finding another teaching job. Due to circumstances beyond my control, my annual contract wasn't renewed. I've applied for about 75 different jobs posted to the county's site, acquiring only three interviews for my efforts, one of which was secured by my former principal. With such results, I've had my first interview within the private sector...and what a beautiful experience!
I'm waiting for a call for a second interview, at which time I will meet with the principal, who is also the pastor of the church associated with this excellent school. It wouldn't pay as much, and it wouldn't have the same benefits as working for a public school. But I would have the opportunity to teach a room full of 2nd grade children with sacred input...I'm so excited!
Since the summer began, I've been engaged in finding another teaching job. Due to circumstances beyond my control, my annual contract wasn't renewed. I've applied for about 75 different jobs posted to the county's site, acquiring only three interviews for my efforts, one of which was secured by my former principal. With such results, I've had my first interview within the private sector...and what a beautiful experience!
I'm waiting for a call for a second interview, at which time I will meet with the principal, who is also the pastor of the church associated with this excellent school. It wouldn't pay as much, and it wouldn't have the same benefits as working for a public school. But I would have the opportunity to teach a room full of 2nd grade children with sacred input...I'm so excited!
Well, it turns out that there were still three questions that I hadn't answered.
Interview Question:
How would your students describe you?
My Answer:
My students describe me as being nice, kind, warm-hearted, and sweet. I have even been told that I am “cool.” Some of the smaller ones say that I am “pretty.” But I have also been told terrible things about myself. One little girl called my bi-polar. I was called a bully by a large young man who was around 6”5 because I wouldn’t let him sleep in class. The funny part is that, these same students who told me terrible things would be first in line to say how wonderful I am. I suppose it’s just the age.
Interview Question:
What was your favorite course in college, and why?
My Answer:
0 Comments on Interview: Day Extra as of 1/1/1900
Well, it turns out that there were still three questions that I hadn't answered.
Interview Question:
How would your students describe you?
My Answer:
My students describe me as being nice, kind, warm-hearted, and sweet. I have even been told that I am “cool.” Some of the smaller ones say that I am “pretty.” But I have also been told terrible things about myself. One little girl called my bi-polar. I was called a bully by a large young man who was around 6”5 because I wouldn’t let him sleep in class. The funny part is that, these same students who told me terrible things would be first in line to say how wonderful I am. I suppose it’s just the age.
Interview Question:
What was your favorite course in college, and why?
My Answer:
Choosing one course as my favorite is a difficult task because I had many wonderful experiences in my college classes. But I would have to say that one of my favorite courses was “Mathematics for Elementary Teachers.” This course helped me to explore all sorts of instructional strategies that can be used to teach the same concept. I believe that this course was so excellent to me because of the instructor. She was kind, considerate, and made the experience very enjoyable. Though the course was about an hour’s drive away, I actually looked forward to it.
Interview Question:
What is the most exciting thing happening today in your area of study?
My Answer:
Some of the most exciting things happening today in my area of study would have to include the breakthroughs in technology that make knowledge accessible to all kinds of learners. The development of numerous gadgets and devices that level the playing field even more for students with disabilities is astounding. Additionally, the widespread knowledge of various disabilities, such as autism, is also cause for excitement. Knowledge empowers those with disabilities as well as the world they live in so that the two meet in a place of acceptance.
My Thoughts:
In all truth, these were not the best answers I could have given; but I didn't want to keep my interviewer waiting. Perhaps if I wasn't feeling so lazy, I could have come up with something really phenomenal.
Today's question is not a question but a request for information that I believe is important:
My Response:
If you don’t remember anything else, please remember that PLANNING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF TEACHING. Period. If you do not plan, you are setting yourself up for the what could be the worse experience of your life. Not only must you plan for the regular flow of academics, you must also plan for when your plans don’t go as planned. Sounds funny, but it’s true. You may have spent hours planning a beautiful lesson. But if a kid in the back of the room throws up in the middle of that lesson, your plans go down the toilet. If you don’t have an additional plan already in place, what could have been a valuable learning experience becomes wasted time; and time is not something that a teacher can afford to waste.
Almost just as important is this: GO OUT TODAY AND BUY HARRY WONG’S BOOK, THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL. This book is vital. If you can, get a copy of the videos as well. The information in these titles should be mandatory for every undergraduate course. I wish I had known more about it before I entered the classroom.
Finally, you’re going to feel like you’re losing your mind at some point. Please don’t give up. Know that what you are doing is important, and that your influence is going to last a lifetime.
Today's question is not a question but a request for information that I believe is important:
My Response:
If you don’t remember anything else, please remember that PLANNING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF TEACHING. Period. If you do not plan, you are setting yourself up for the what could be the worse experience of your life. Not only must you plan for the regular flow of academics, you must also plan for when your plans don’t go as planned. Sounds funny, but it’s true. You may have spent hours planning a beautiful lesson. But if a kid in the back of the room throws up in the middle of that lesson, your plans go down the toilet. If you don’t have an additional plan already in place, what could have been a valuable learning experience becomes wasted time; and time is not something that a teacher can afford to waste.
Almost just as important is this: GO OUT TODAY AND BUY HARRY WONG’S BOOK, THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL. This book is vital. If you can, get a copy of the videos as well. The information in these titles should be mandatory for every undergraduate course. I wish I had known more about it before I entered the classroom.
Finally, you’re going to feel like you’re losing your mind at some point. Please don’t give up. Know that what you are doing is important, and that your influence is going to last a lifetime.
Today's question brought me back to yesterday's.
Interview Question:
How might research in educational psychology, such as theories about how children learn or how the brain functions, influence your approach to teaching?
My Answer:
Depending on the validity of the research in question, research findings in educational psychology would affect the organization of my instructional practices. Also, depending upon the findings of that research, I would make sure to incorporate these facts in my planning, both long-term and short-term. This would only make sense, as it would affect the efficiency of my instructional practices. As in my previous response, I believe that a deeper level of understanding these processes of learning would help me in effectively presenting information to all students, especially those who have difficulty learning in the whole group setting.
Today's question brought me back to yesterday's.
Interview Question:
How might research in educational psychology, such as theories about how children learn or how the brain functions, influence your approach to teaching?
My Answer:
Depending on the validity of the research in question, research findings in educational psychology would affect the organization of my instructional practices. Also, depending upon the findings of that research, I would make sure to incorporate these facts in my planning, both long-term and short-term. This would only make sense, as it would affect the efficiency of my instructional practices. As in my previous response, I believe that a deeper level of understanding these processes of learning would help me in effectively presenting information to all students, especially those who have difficulty learning in the whole group setting.
Today's interview question leaves me with a responsibility. If I believe that I would benefit from this knowledge, then it's my responsibility to pursue it.
Interview Question:
In what areas have you improved as a teacher over the course of your career? In what areas would you like to gain more expertise or develop more skills? How do you think gaining this expertise or developing these skills would benefit your students’ learning?
My Answer:
So far, I can honestly say that I have improved in all areas as a teacher since I began. But I believe that the most significant improvements I have made are in the area of classroom management. When I first started the year, I had never really been exposed to Harry Wong. I didn’t understand the importance of establishing procedures for EVERYTHING. I had no idea that not having a set method of all classroom activities (such as sharpening pencils, handing in homework, and asking to go to the bathroom) would limit the effectiveness of my teaching. Thankfully, I learned of these facts prior to the last semester of the year. Not implementing them in the beginning of the year, however, made my year much less effective than it could have been.
I feel that I would benefit now from a more in depth study of cognitive neuroscience. The processes of cognition, and the obstacles that impair its fluency, are not only fascinating to me, but I believe that a deeper level of understanding these processes would help me in effectively presenting information to all students, especially those who have difficulty learning in the whole group setting.
Today's interview question leaves me with a responsibility. If I believe that I would benefit from this knowledge, then it's my responsibility to pursue it.
Interview Question:
In what areas have you improved as a teacher over the course of your career? In what areas would you like to gain more expertise or develop more skills? How do you think gaining this expertise or developing these skills would benefit your students’ learning?
My Answer:
So far, I can honestly say that I have improved in all areas as a teacher since I began. But I believe that the most significant improvements I have made are in the area of classroom management. When I first started the year, I had never really been exposed to Harry Wong. I didn’t understand the importance of establishing procedures for EVERYTHING. I had no idea that not having a set method of all classroom activities (such as sharpening pencils, handing in homework, and asking to go to the bathroom) would limit the effectiveness of my teaching. Thankfully, I learned of these facts prior to the last semester of the year. Not implementing them in the beginning of the year, however, made my year much less effective than it could have been.
I feel that I would benefit now from a more in depth study of cognitive neuroscience. The processes of cognition, and the obstacles that impair its fluency, are not only fascinating to me, but I believe that a deeper level of understanding these processes would help me in effectively presenting information to all students, especially those who have difficulty learning in the whole group setting.
Today's interview question forced me to really think deeply about my experience throughout my first year.
Interview Question:
What are the types of resources and support you are given in the classroom? Are these resources adequate for you to be an effective teacher? In what areas would you like more resources and support, and what impact do you believe these additional resources and added support would have on your teaching and on students’ learning?
My Answer:
A myriad of resources and support are available to teachers in general. There are millions of websites, thousands of groups, and hundreds of programs available to help teachers with teaching. But the best are only available to those who aggressively seek for them. They will most certainly not jump into a person’s lap or classroom. As far as the types of resources and support I am given from my school, the list is long. I was provided a wonderful assistant. She has become a part of my life, and is not simply limited to the classroom. We are friends for life. In addition to her, I was given a classroom computer lab with which to utilize the READ 180 curriculum. This is not something that most schools are able to do, so I was very grateful for this resource. I was even given a deck of cards entitled “You Can Teach Them All.” This stack deals with various kinds of behaviors and affective solutions for each one. I was given suggestions on what to do to maintain a classroom and was provided access to the school’s body of excellent teachers. I was even given direct access to my school’s ward-winning administrative team. Their suggestions and support were remarkable, and I couldn’t have asked for a better administrative team. I was also provided with input from the county’s mentor teacher. As a new teacher, she provided me with encouragement and support that really helped to make a difference in my career.
Despite all of these wonderful resources and support, I think the one thing that I really needed was assistance with transitioning from life as an assistant to life as a teacher. I thought that this was what my degree had given me, but I was wrong. Nothing in my university education truly prepared me for going into a classroom. I believe that I would have benefited from receiving new-teacher assistance at least once each week. The fact that I was located far from other teachers did not help my situation much. But during my planning time, I would often find myself visiting other teachers, observing their practices and taking down notes as fast as my fingers would allow. Still, I think that regularly scheduled assistance would have been extremely helpful. I would have had the support and insight I needed in the beginning of the year, when it seems to count most.
Today's interview question forced me to really think deeply about my experience throughout my first year.
Interview Question:
What are the types of resources and support you are given in the classroom? Are these resources adequate for you to be an effective teacher? In what areas would you like more resources and support, and what impact do you believe these additional resources and added support would have on your teaching and on students’ learning?
My Answer:
A myriad of resources and support are available to teachers in general. There are millions of websites, thousands of groups, and hundreds of programs available to help teachers with teaching. But the best are only available to those who aggressively seek for them. They will most certainly not jump into a person’s lap or classroom. As far as the types of resources and support I am given from my school, the list is long. I was provided a wonderful assistant. She has become a part of my life, and is not simply limited to the classroom. We are friends for life. In addition to her, I was given a classroom computer lab with which to utilize the READ 180 curriculum. This is not something that most schools are able to do, so I was very grateful for this resource. I was even given a deck of cards entitled “You Can Teach Them All.” This stack deals with various kinds of behaviors and affective solutions for each one. I was given suggestions on what to do to maintain a classroom and was provided access to the school’s body of excellent teachers. I was even given direct access to my school’s ward-winning administrative team. Their suggestions and support were remarkable, and I couldn’t have asked for a better administrative team. I was also provided with input from the county’s mentor teacher. As a new teacher, she provided me with encouragement and support that really helped to make a difference in my career.
Despite all of these wonderful resources and support, I think the one thing that I really needed was assistance with transitioning from life as an assistant to life as a teacher. I thought that this was what my degree had given me, but I was wrong. Nothing in my university education truly prepared me for going into a classroom. I believe that I would have benefited from receiving new-teacher assistance at least once each week. The fact that I was located far from other teachers did not help my situation much. But during my planning time, I would often find myself visiting other teachers, observing their practices and taking down notes as fast as my fingers would allow. Still, I think that regularly scheduled assistance would have been extremely helpful. I would have had the support and insight I needed in the beginning of the year, when it seems to count most.
Today's interview question deals with a topic that is almost as controversial as politics: The No Child Left Behind Act.
Interview Question:
What effect has the No Child Left Behind Act had on your teaching and your students’ learning? Provide both positive and negative examples to describe the effect you think it has on classroom life.
My Answer:
I feel that NCLB takes the focus off of authentic learning. Instead, it places classroom focus on the results of a test that does not actually demonstrate a student’s academic mastery. I believe that this is a very ineffective method of measuring a student’s retention of grade-level concepts. A student who is a good test-taker may be able to figure out correct answers based mainly on the possible answer choices as opposed to actually knowing the information and concepts being assessed. Despite these faults, however, I feel that NCLB does help to discourage poor teaching practices. Teachers who formerly would spend the year simply showing videos or going over tests that they were going to give the students have to actually do their job. While this is very much a necessity, I’m not sure that it counter-balances the negative points of NCLB. I believe that there are other methods that would be much more effective.
Today's interview question deals with a topic that is almost as controversial as politics: The No Child Left Behind Act.
Interview Question:
What effect has the No Child Left Behind Act had on your teaching and your students’ learning? Provide both positive and negative examples to describe the effect you think it has on classroom life.
My Answer:
I feel that NCLB takes the focus off of authentic learning. Instead, it places classroom focus on the results of a test that does not actually demonstrate a student’s academic mastery. I believe that this is a very ineffective method of measuring a student’s retention of grade-level concepts. A student who is a good test-taker may be able to figure out correct answers based mainly on the possible answer choices as opposed to actually knowing the information and concepts being assessed. Despite these faults, however, I feel that NCLB does help to discourage poor teaching practices. Teachers who formerly would spend the year simply showing videos or going over tests that they were going to give the students have to actually do their job. While this is very much a necessity, I’m not sure that it counter-balances the negative points of NCLB. I believe that there are other methods that would be much more effective.
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good luck... :)