I think that good and effective teaching is someone who accommodates to all of their different students and their varying needs. They are someone who works with their students to figure out the best way to teach that individual. My definition of a good and effective teacher has definitely changed since the beginning of this semester. At the beginning of the semester I thought a good teacher was someone who was able to keep the students engaged in class. While this is a very important aspect of teaching I do not believe it is what defines a “good teacher”. I have learned throughout the semester that each students has different needs and varying abilities. It is absolutely crucial to find out what these are so you as a teacher are able to teach them to the best of your ability in a way that is effective for that individual. One teacher standard that this course really helped prepare me for is “Teachers understand that children learn differently: The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities.”
The case study we did really helped me understand this concept better because we had to determine a child’s developmental stages. This interests me the most because I am going to be a Special Education teacher and this really pertains to my area. The most significant thing I learned this semester that will help me in the future as a teacher is that it is important to get to know my future students and the things that are going on in their lives. The “I wish my teacher knew” sheet really stuck with me. I plan to do this in the future so that way I can understand my students better by finding out information about them that I otherwise would not have known. I plan to keep my social media accounts professional. It is important not to post inappropriate things because future employers look at our digital identities and it can influence whether or not we get hired, especially as future educators.