- Learning Environment – The teacher fosters and manages a safe and inclusive learning environment that takes into account: physical, emotional and intellectual well-being.
Throughout EDU 6942 (September Experience) we discussed aspects of teaching that first year teachers may have trouble with. These struggles will inherently contribute to the well-being of our students so we need to be prepared for what lies ahead. In our second group blog assignment, one of my cohorts provided the following advice from a teacher, which greatly resonated with me.
While there is a lot of information there, each point is kept short, sweet and ultimately, realistic. The point that stood out the most was:
“Spend more time on knowing the kids, like really knowing them, then on their grades or what you “have to teach them.” Some of them are not going to “get” anything you teach them from a content perspective, but they might learn social skills, organizational skills, how to be more compassionate, become more globally aware, end up with a higher level of self esteem/self worth, and they will remember how you made them feel.”
As new teachers, the focus lies on content, testing, grading and the logistics of running a successful classroom and we may lose sight of the reason we got into teaching in the first place: the students. If we take the time to focus on them, get to know them and their stories, interests and passions, than teaching our content will come much easier.
Creating that “buy in” from students by connecting on a personal level will make teaching and classroom management much easier. Students are more likely to cooperate and work hard for a teacher with compassion rather than a teacher who remains distant and uncaring.
In my classroom, I intend to learn about my students individually. Talking to them during passing periods and being available before and after school hours will help me to connect with my students in an extracurricular manner. I also hope to continue coaching swim when I begin teaching, which will allow my students to see me in a different environment as well. Students and teachers are all humans and we need to be sure to keep that human aspect in tact.
Online Teaching Portfolio 