I chose to pursue a career in teaching when I realized that teaching would allow me to live a lifestyle in which I could be happy. I envision my future in teaching as an opportunity to be creative with inspiring and promoting enthusiastic learners. My experiences in life has exposed me to activities such as automotive repair, downhill mountain biking and world travel, all of which motivate me to live a life of learning and meaning. I work to expand my own horizons so I am more able to enrich the lives of the youth I will be working with.
My interactions with my own teachers through the years have mentored me to idea that a student teacher relationship should comprise mainly of respect and regard. With confident leadership from the teacher students may be given the space to grow and prosper in a safe environment. To every class I think the teacher serves the role of a mentor and role model, who retains a great wealth of information in the field of their specialty.
The number one feature of the new curriculum that I reflect in my practices and beliefs is demonstration of safe work habits and attitudes, including using tools and equipment with an awareness of their impact on others. To me, safety is pinnacle in the technology education learning environment. Through my teachings I also aim to identify employable skills that are relevant to my field of instruction. This ties in with describing career and entrepreneurial opportunities related to technology education. A large part of being creative is the process of designing, so I work to have the students recognize, describe and apply design elements and principles into their work when creating a unique functional or artistic piece. At the end of the day I am delighted to assist students to their achieve goals.
From this year I have learned to inquire and reflect from as many perspectives as possible. I have come to understand better how important the interpersonal relationship between student and teacher is to the learning environment. Learning exists far beyond the the content imparted and instead often lies in the cultural and social practices understood through meaningful work. Meaningful work being learning and self-development through a valuable process.
I will continue to grow professionally by always reflecting on my actions and taking others perspectives and positionalities into question. I will continue to show care and compassion for all student I interact with. I will continue to foster independence and self-confidence in my students through meaningful and valuable work through Technology Education. I know I will have been successful in fostering meaningful work if students are gaining the knowledge and skills while growing and learning themselves.
Mr. McCormack