REFLECTIONS ON BECOMING A TEACHER

As I look back over the past 6 years that I have been working with students and studying to get my Masters Degree, I have gone through a profound change as a future educator of young minds. Becoming a teacher is a lifelong commitment to personal learning and adaptability. When we become inflexible and isolated we are not able to reach the students. I used to think teaching was getting content across to a generic set of kids but what I have come to realize is that each child is an individual that needs a teacher who cares and strives to find the best avenue for learning for that child. Teaching is a precise craft requiring great dedication and lifelong learning from the teacher herself! We must be able to flow with educational changes and consider all learners as we plan lessons. Being a teacher is a little bit like being a jack of all trades. We are imbedded in the front lines with students but must plan behind the scenes with colleagues and keep up on curriculum changes. Perhaps my biggest shift as an educator is my understanding and willingness to work with a team of teachers when planning instruction. Teachers are not islands and they need their colleagues to plan and bounce things off of to be successful in the classroom. We also need to include different types of teachers in our planning, like the special educators when we plan for kids with learning disabilities. There is a huge amount of team planning that goes into having a successful classroom. I am also very conscious of technology in the classroom and its ever growing importance with our youth. All teachers have a mandate to stay current on new forms of technology and make a commitment to trying new things in the classroom even though it may take extra time or work to incorporate it. We will lose students if we are not on a level playing field. Teachers that dont stay current on technology lose the best opportunity for reaching students. I plan on technology taking center stage in my classroom through Apps, internet, streaming media, music and computers. The bottom line in my personal reflection is teacher adaptability, professional development, collaboration, technology and a strong connection and commitment to treating each student as an individual learner!