I really enjoyed reading the blog post What I've Learned This Year (09). Mr. Joe McClung explained in his post that he learned seven major things in his first year teaching.
1.) How to Read the Crowd
2.) Be Flexible
3.) Communicate
4.) Be Reasonable
5.) Don't be Afraid of Technology
6.) Listen to Your Students
7.) Never Stop Learning
I learned so much about being a "young and experienced teacher" from reading his post. During my first year of teaching I plan to follow Mr. McClung's words of advice to make me a better teacher.
Mr. McClung's second post What I Learned This Year (10) was about his second year of teaching in a new state and a new sudject. He explained that he was defiantly out of his comfort zone but that teachers should adapt to their surroundings. He had to teach a whole new subject and curriculum and he had to adapt to his new school and subject. McClung found out that his social studies students wasn't ever taught to think for themselves. he explained that it can be frustrating at times. He goes on to explain that when someone first becomes a teacher they should find a "school momma" which is someone that has been there longer and could help you through tough times. Joe McClung states that he learned to leave his ego at the door and that other teachers should too. Also, he explains to teachers not to loose sight of what really matters.
Joe McClung's last post was What I learned This Year (11). This year has been the first year that he has taught at the same school for more than one year and it has brought more change into his life. He explains that he is a coach of the cross-country team and he is also the computer applications teacher. Once again, McClung goes through the things/lessons that he has learned throughout the year.
1.) Know Who Your Boss Is
2.) Don't Expect Others to be as Excited About Change as You Are
3.) Don't be Afraid to be an Outsider
4.) Don't Touch the Keyboard
5.) Don't get Comfortable
I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading Joe McClung's blog posts. Like McClung, I plan to have and open mind and learn every single year that I am a teacher. I am excited to see the challenges that I face and the changes that will happen throughout my years as a teacher.
Hello Devon,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed these reflections. I think we should all do some sort of reflecting of our experiences at the end of each school year. I found his ideas of remembering that we become teachers for the benefit of the students very similar to the Rafe Esquith view in one of the books we did podcasts on. Also, it was interesting to see in his first and last post that his views on teaching were still similar, but his reflecting had allowed him to evolve. In short, his reflections were full circle and gained substance through time. Your post is very organized. I like the listing with the numbers. Have a good week.
Hey Devon,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about your views from Mr. McClung's first years of teaching. I am excited and nervous about my first year but I feel eased after reading these posts. I also like how you put the highlights of the blog posts in number listing. It makes it easier to read when your reading pattern is changed from reading sentences to lists. Thanks for such a great post.
Devon,
ReplyDeleteI can really tell that you got a lot from reading about what Mr. McClung had to say. His posts were full of great advice and tips for new teachers. This was one of my favorite assignments to read in EDM simply because it was so informative about some of the realistic things that new teachers will experience.
Thanks,
Rebekah Lloyd