Blog Post #9

Mr. McClung Volume 1

I decided that since I really have no clue what to expect in my first year of teaching I would read Volume one of Mr. McClung's Blog. I really enjoyed reading it and I kind of want to read it before class everyday of my first year of teaching. He talks about how when he first arrived he was to worried about what people were going to think of him, which seems to be a big problem, and that it affected his performance trying to impress everyone. He said he learned that the key to being a good teacher is to let your audience guide you in the correct way. This sounds to easy but I think he is extremely right. You could be the smartest professor in the world but if your students can't learn the way you are teaching you will be a terrible teacher. The next point he goes to is to be flexible. Don't let your determination to have the perfect lesson plan get in the way of teaching. He said bad things happen and sometimes you have to stray off the lesson plan, but good teachers except this change and are able to change with it and still be able to reach the kids. His peace of advice is to change with a smile :). He said he learned that communication is a huge part in teaching not just with your students but with the faculty as well. He advises to communicate with everyone that a way people will be able to help you become a better teacher. He said he learned that teachers have to be reasonable. Every teacher wants to go in everyday and change a life but people aren't perfect so that can't happen. He says that when students don't meet your expectation don't get upset learn and change they way you approach teaching them. Another thing he learned, which I am learning right now, don't be afraid to use technology. Technology is there to help us teach and to make learning fun for students. Mr. McClung knows computers are difficult but he also knows that teaching with them has huge advantages. He gives the advice to listen to your students. That they are the ones you are there for so listen to what they have to say. He also says that the key to being a good teacher is to know about your students. The more you know about your students the more respect you will receive. Finally he says he learned to never stop learning. He says that we live in a learning environment so why not learn. After reading this post I think it is probably the best advice I have heard about being a teacher. I agree with Mr. McClung and I hope I can learn from his lessons.

Mr. McClung Volume 4

In this volume Mr. McClung said that he learned two very important things this year, and that they were to teach to who you are assigned to teach and never settle. I think these two lessons are extremely important because as I was reading them in Mr. McClung's Blog I was thinking to myself wow I feel like that is exactly what I am going to do as a teacher. The first lesson Teach who you are assigned to teach refers to how he tried to impress his peers when he was teaching this year. He got so caught up in how he thought the other teachers viewed him as a teacher that he forgot to be a good teacher to the kids and not just his peers. I feel like this is an extremely important lesson to learn because I feel I have the same problem now. I always worry about other people perceive me instead of doing the best job that I think their is. Reading this blog has hopefully made me realize that I can't be concerned with how other people view my styles, as long as they work that is all that matters.

The second lesson he learned, which I am scared this is going to happen to me, is he realized he was becoming a lazy teacher. He started using old lesson plans and not trying to figure out cool new ways to teach the material because he had already done it three times. I know when I get into a habit of things that I tend to stay in that habit especially if it has brought success before, but as Mr McClung found out that isn't fair to your students. Teachers should always try to improve their methods because that way students will realize that their teachers are working hard for them so the can learn better. Reading this blog post has taught me that no matter what we can't stop improving because if we do its not fair for the future.