How have you grown as a teacher from this experience so far (skills, understanding, or knowledge gained) (lesson planning, classroom management, demonstrations, etc…)?
The most important thing I have learned so far is that your lesson plans can play a large role in behavior management within the classroom. In other words, if your students are truly engaged and interested in your lesson, there will be less behavior issues within the classroom because they are truly interested in what they are doing. Along with that, when the students are interested in what they are doing and care about it, they will learn more from that lesson. This is a concept I have always known, however it has become more apparent to me when teaching this group of children. When we find something that the kids are really fascinated about and think is really cool, they will spend more time on that and less time with behavior problems.
What new understandings do you have about children/education/your role in the classroom?
Through my classes I am taking to become a teacher, I have heard that the role of a teacher can be different, depending on what that teacher’s philosophy is and how they think they can best teach their students. I had not developed my own teaching philosophy yet, but I think this internship experience is helping me develop one. As a teacher, I would like to find ways to include whatever my students are interested in as a part of our lesson. This would get the students more involved in their learning, and I think it is the role of the teacher to make sure their students are as engaged as possible.
What has made you happy about teaching this quarter?
The kids are truly what has made me happy about teaching this semester. I have been able to get to know each and every student, and they are all so special and unique in their own way. Some of the students had more challenging behavior at the beginning of the semester, and I have seen them improve greatly already, which has been really exciting for me to watch. They are great kids and make me want to come back to work every day.
What is something that you would like to work on improving by the end of the semester?
By the end of the semester, I hope that I have found new and exciting lesson plans for the kids that really get them all engaged. Many of them are really hands-on learners and don’t care for the classic painting or drawing art lessons, so I want to challenge myself to find new and different art lessons. By the end of the semester, I hope to show my students that art can go way beyond just drawing or painting.