If I could just take one thing I learned this year and use it for my future classroom it would be to create a classroom community. I feel that it is important for students to understand your expectations for how they work in your classroom from day one. This year, it was apparent that there were a lot of clashing personalities and there never seemed to be a sense of togetherness from the beginning. I want to establish friendships between my students and build relationships with them so we can have a successful learning community.
I was fortunate enough to visit a 5th grade class this past week where students worked incredibly well side by side. The teacher emphasized setting the norm in the classroom from day one. She even mentioned she didn't really start teaching content until after the first two weeks once the students were familiar with the routines and expectations. Students were much more focused on the task at hand than worrying about who they were sitting next to or who they were working with.
I plan on having several group building activities and being prepared for day one in the classroom. There are a few resources I have picked up that will be incredibly helpful to any teacher; "The First Day of School" by Harry Wong and "Strategies That Work," are great books to read to get ideas on how to create and maintain a successful classroom.
I am nearing the end of my internship experience and that means it is time to start the J-O-B search! I flew out to Denver to test the western frontier and see if there were any opportunities out there. I attended two job fairs while in Colorado and I gained some great experience interviewing and getting used to being outside my comfort zone. It was an eye opening experience however, and I learned how much the economy really is affecting schools. I am very glad that I made this trip because it prepared me for the MSU Career Fair even more than I had anticipated.
Many students in my TE classes were anxious about how the MSU job fair would go and what to expect; traveling to Denver gave me a leg up on everyone else and considerably calmed my nerves. I went into the MSU career fair with a plan and stuck to it throughout the day.
The most important thing I learned while interviewing and attending the job fair(s) was to BE YOURSELF. I wanted the school districts and principals I talked to, to know who I was and what I stood for. I feel that it is so important to be yourself during these types of things so that you aren't fooling anyone and that you find the right place for you. Being prepared is another thing that helped calm me down. I wasn't at home the night before practicing answers to questions that could be asked, I was mapping my route to the schools I was interested in and knew I wanted to talk to. I learned more about the schools and was prepared to talk about why I would be a good fit there. I didn't stress over what could be asked and what I would say, I knew that with my experience the answers would come, and come from the heart. I took my time, took deep breaths and gave it my best. The job fair can eat you up and really be frustrating. It is all about how you handle yourself, your emotions and your expectations that can really make a difference between you and another candidate.
Many students in my TE classes were anxious about how the MSU job fair would go and what to expect; traveling to Denver gave me a leg up on everyone else and considerably calmed my nerves. I went into the MSU career fair with a plan and stuck to it throughout the day.
The most important thing I learned while interviewing and attending the job fair(s) was to BE YOURSELF. I wanted the school districts and principals I talked to, to know who I was and what I stood for. I feel that it is so important to be yourself during these types of things so that you aren't fooling anyone and that you find the right place for you. Being prepared is another thing that helped calm me down. I wasn't at home the night before practicing answers to questions that could be asked, I was mapping my route to the schools I was interested in and knew I wanted to talk to. I learned more about the schools and was prepared to talk about why I would be a good fit there. I didn't stress over what could be asked and what I would say, I knew that with my experience the answers would come, and come from the heart. I took my time, took deep breaths and gave it my best. The job fair can eat you up and really be frustrating. It is all about how you handle yourself, your emotions and your expectations that can really make a difference between you and another candidate.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
