Good effective teaching is when you are able to engage all students and teach to all ability levels. Personally, my definition of what it means to be a good teacher hasn’t changed but I have been able to learn new characteristics that goes into being a successful teacher. Some of these characteristics are looking at a child as a whole instead of making an assumption based off behavior.
I also learned how discipline plays a big role inside the classroom. This directly relates to standard four: “teachers know how to manage a classroom”. This class definitely showed me the importance of classroom management. Prior to this class, I didn’t understand how strong of a connection there is between classroom management and student achievement. Now, I understand having good classroom management is one of the most important tools you can possess as a teacher.
However, my favorite standard I have learned in this class is standard three: “teachers understand students learn differently”(ISTE). Although I already knew people learn in many different ways, this class taught me how to teach to all learners. For example, learning about the zone of proximal development by Vygotsky allowed me to understand how to assess my student’s achievement level. I can then use that knowledge to structure my lessons in a way that the content is not too easy or overly challenging.
The most significant thing I learned this semester is the importance of having a good balance between student and teacher centered approach. I found this information to be helpful because it directly connects with student motivation and participation. Both of these concepts are things physical educators struggle the most with inside their classroom. I hope to use this knowledge by giving my students some voice in my curriculum. In return, I expect more students to willingly, participate inside of class.
Finally, this class has taught me the importance of creating a strong, meaningful, digital identity. Our world is now centered on the web, so it was very beneficial for me to learn how to build an online portfolio. Part of getting a job in today’s society is based off how you present yourself online. I was able to understand the importance of building up a professional profile on the web so when I do apply for a job they can clearly see my passion for teaching. I will continue to post important papers and content onto my blog page because I know it will benefit me down the road. I am very thankful for the lessons and experience I have had through the foundation block courses and hope to continue learning the skills to be the best teacher I can be.
https://psysc613.wikispaces.com/Core+Ideas+of+Development
Prior to our block courses, I don’t think I realized how far-reaching “classroom management” really was both categorically and in regards to student success, as you mentioned.
In O&P I definitely saw how important consistency was for all of the students, but especially those our cooperating teacher identified as having “Trauma Brain.” Not only was deviation distracting, for certain students it was at times even distressing.
Being an inconsistent aspect in the class was something that was difficult to overcome, which was an important lesson to learn so early on in my teaching experiences.