Strengths:

One of my main strengths is my ability to quickly form connections with students. Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships has been my goal from the beginning of my teaching experience. In the future, I will look to augment my teaching with regular professional development on the aspects of Social Emotional Learning. In addition, I plan to fully participate in extracurricular school activities in the future to further interact with students I may not otherwise have the chance to teach.

Challenges:

The toughest challenge I faced during the practicum was asking the right questions. Holding discussions during class time was always a source of difficulty for me. My lesson plans usually include discussion questions to go over with the class. However, it was difficult to think of relevant and thought-provoking questions on the fly. Similarly, some of my students had great questions and I wouldn’t be able to answer them. Adapting quickly and thinking on my feet were definitely difficult for me.

I suppose the best method of addressing this difficulty would be to gain more practical teaching experience. By spending more time in front of the classroom, I will become better prepared for the twists and turns that a class may sometimes take. Formative assessment is a very powerful tool. I hope to become proficient at its usage one day.