Throughout the summer I was constantly thinking
about the upcoming school year and the new experiences that I would be taking
on as well as the challenges those experiences would bring. I felt that one of
my biggest weaknesses thus far in my previous field placements was connecting
with the students in the classroom. In my core two placement, I felt I did a
better job than in core one, but it was also much tougher because I was at a
school that did not have block scheduling. Therefore they had classes that met
every single day, and on the day I went, I would see four different classes.
Being that I was only there once a week, it was very challenging getting to
know the students and really connecting with them. My goal this year is to
really connect with my students and I feel that I have a great chance at doing
this since we are meeting them from day one and not coming in when class has
already been in session for three weeks.
My other goal for this year is to really practice on becoming
comfortable in the classroom that I am teaching in. In the past, I have felt
that I wasn't able to step up and really be a co-teacher. I did not feel that I
had the authority of a regular classroom teacher and some of that stemmed from
the introductions that I had with the students and also with the fact that I
was only there once a week. This year I should have a much better time becoming
comfortable in the classroom, as I will be there with the same class each time
it meets. My only worry is that next semester, I will have to meet several
other classes that do not know me and I hope that they will see me as a
classroom teacher rather than just someone coming in and taking over.
It sounds like you struggled with an aspect of Core 2that I found tricky as well - only see the class once a week is difficult. I do think it is hard for students to perceive you as a teacher in their class when you are only there 1 day a week. Makes Core 3 and 4 almost feel like a relief because being there every day does make a difference. I think after having your experience this semester, you'll find adopting your other classes will not be as big a challenge. You'll have a lot more teacher experience and I think you're going to seamlessly bring them under your wing. You've totally got this!
ReplyDeleteConnecting with the students is such an important part of teaching but I think this is also something that can't be taught. I don't mean to say that it cannot be learned, rather it is an experience one must endure in order to improve upon it. I think that connecting with your students ties in closely with finding your voice/ being comfortable in the classroom. As pre-professionals (is that a thing?), we have to approach all of these things at the same time but I think once we get more comfortable and find our voices, we will know how we can connect with our students in the best way. I am very interested to hear about the ways in which you will be trying to connect to your students as that is something I need to work on too. Hopefully we'll be able to bounce ideas off one another and find what works for us.
ReplyDeleteMr. Naylor, thanks for your thoughtful post! I think Ms. Dawson made an excellent point that connecting with your students is something you will have to actively practice, and I'm interested to know what specific steps you will take to connect with your students (and, consequently, feel more comfortable in the classroom). Will you greet them at the door? Will you walk around the room before class begins interacting with students by name as you refer to your seating chart? Articulating specific steps now will allow you to practice them with a single class and then try out what works with the remaining classes next semester.
ReplyDeleteI'd also encourage you to consider attending your placement during/after WSU finals week to start to get to know your MT's remaining classes, if you are worried about meeting all of them in January. Also, make plans now to start on the first day of WPS classes, instead of WSU's next semester. That's not required, but it might help you feel more comfortable.
I agree that connecting with your students is important. They will work harder for you if they feel you care about them and how they learn. Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference: a smile and a "hello" at the door, noticing an improvement in work, or commenting on a student's good behavior or outside activities. Good luck on achieving your goal.
ReplyDelete