I have learned that as a teacher I will be constantly evolving and changing as I progress along this career path. There are core values that guide my teaching philosophy but I see my practice as being dynamic, open to new ideas and adaptive based on the composition of my class. I have learned that teaching and the tone of the classroom is all guided by the particular students in a class, the time of class, the day, the season and many outside factors. It is a very vulnerable and sensitive organism. Therefore my teaching practices will always have to be flexible. How I teach, what strategies I use, how I assess, instruct lessons, and manage the class is all dependent on knowing the group I am teaching. To be a successful teacher, this attitude is integral.
I faced some classroom management challenges throughout my practicum, and having a chance to do it over I would be a lot more clear and enforcing of certain classroom expectations. For example, when it’s time to work students need to be using that time wisely. I would have set up clearer standards regarding homework and keeping up in class (although this was somewhat influenced by my SA). Generally speaking I just need to be more explicit in instruction and expectations. Setting the tone early and carrying that momentum onward throughout the entire class is a way to keep student engaged and focused. That was also an area of struggle at times.
Many questions still arise for me on the most effective ways to motivate students, especially when the content of the class is very difficult to relate to. Finding ways to intrinsically motivate students is an area I will continue to investigate. I wonder how I can make parts of the curriculum more interesting for students.
I recognize the value and importance of personalized learning, and it something I am dedicated to implementing in my classroom. However, I realize the difficulty in doing this and I worry that the amount of work and time needed to put into practice personalized learning is too great. Will I find certain parts of the job too stressful? Will I be able to avoid burn out given how much I have to mark?
Also having not had dealt with a lot of behavioural issues on my practicum, I am concerned if I will be adequately prepared to handle those situations when they arise. My experiences with defiant students are almost nonexistent.