My first teaching experience

I started my teaching practice at the Sistema Educativo Whitman today, and I had my first teaching experience. I started observing different groups during the morning. Then, in the afternoon I went to observe the third grade which is the group I had to teach, and finally I started my teaching experience. I have to admit that was hard, but at the same time helpful. I had time to know my new students and interact with them. At the beginning of the class they were very interested in knowing about me. They asked everything about me, where I live, what I do, where did I learn English, a lot of things. So, after my introduction, we started to work on the topic assigned for the day. I started teaching science; the topic was about rocks and minerals. The students were very interested in the topic, and I have to recognize that they are very active and they love to participate, most of the time when I ask for a volunteer to read a text.  However, I noticed that I need to start working on their concentration. Some of them tend to lose their concentration by doing different thing, for example, some of them were all the time talking with the others, distracting the class. I understand that was my first day, and that is why they don´t show enough respect for me as with the other teachers, since they don´t know me enough, but I did my best to demonstrate them that I am their new teacher and they have to respect me as the other teachers. So, I am sure that with the time, they will learn to respect me, and we will form a great team.

Week #4: Develop-philosophy

“Your teaching philosophy will likely evolve as you gain experience in teaching and place yourself in new and different situations”. Greta K. Nagel (1998)

“The philosophy of teaching statement should reflect your personal values and the needs of your students”. Iowa State University

According to the Iowa State University there are some steps we should take into account at the moment to develop a teaching philosophy statement: 

1.      To What End?

It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities

2.      By What Means? 

When you have a clear idea about your teaching objectives, you can discuss methods that you use to achieve or work toward those objectives. Here is where you can display your knowledge of learning theory, cognitive development, curriculum design, etc.

3.       To What Degree? 

You will need to discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness, objectives, and methods you have outlined. Because your objectives are most likely related to student learning, then you will probably use measures of student outcomes to reflect your efforts rather than how many chapters you can cover from the textbook.

4.      Why? 

Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the great and wonderful rewards of teaching? Why is teaching important? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students?

Prepared by Lee Haugen
Center for Teaching Excellence, Iowa State University
March, 1998

My Opinion

In the reading about “how do I develop a philosophy of teaching?”  I understand that it is based on the techniques or styles that different teachers use. It’s where we as teachers describe the interaction we have with our students. Describe the assistance we give them according to their needs.  It is where we explain the reasons we have for teaching, the description on how we teach, and reasons for our beliefs about teaching.

Regarding the phrase “teachers are here to teach. Students are here to learn”

What challenges does this pose for your teaching?

I would say that in a class teachers face many challenges, but motivation is one of the most important challenges for me to face as a teacher. Sometimes, we can find immature kids, without motivation to study. Sometimes, those kids do not have the support from their parents to continue studying, so in that moment is when we should take the role as teachers, and encourage them to continue working in their learning, find the way to explain them the importance of learning, that they need to study to become professional people.

                                                  

Week #3: Teachers Observing Teachers: A Professional Development Tool for Every School

“Typically evaluative by nature, teacher observation is usually linked to classroom performance. More and more schools, however, are using observation -- teachers observing teachers -- as a form of professional development that improves teaching practices and student performance”. (Article by Michele Israel)

                            

                                   

                    

My Opinion

I think observing a teacher giving a class is the best guide that we as student teachers can have, because it can help us to improve our skills and to get new ideas, can reduce the job stress, especially for new teachers, we can learn a lot of things that cannot be found in a book, for example, about how to manage a difficult situation like behavior problems, how to react in that moment. Also, the teacher we are observing can give us good tips about the classroom management, about how to improve the classroom practices, about the daily experiences he/she faces with their pupils, and can give us some techniques to apply in our own class. So, for me the effective way to learn how to manage a class is by teachers-observing-teachers strategy.

Week #2: Reflective Journal Writing in the Practicum Course: What are the Roles of the Responder?

“Reflective journals serve as a communication tool between student teachers and teacher educators. Feedback from student teachers demonstrates that they find journal writing to be effective in their transition from being a student to being a teacher and in fostering reflective practice from the start of their careers. Although a variety of approaches such as observation and teacher group discussions can be used to help teachers develop a reflective approach to their teaching, journal writing seems to be the most effective”. (Hyatt & Beigy, 1999).

My opinion  
    

A reflective journal is where the student teachers comment during their professional practice their experiences during the teaching classes. In this writing the student teachers express all they saw, heard, and felt in the classroom. So, according to this, they will be able to analyze each problem and find out the solution or the response of the problem using the correct way. They will be able to discover their essential qualities for being a teacher. They will learn to be patient, communicative, organized, most of the time if they are working in a primary school.

 I think this is a good method to use while we are doing the practice since is in that moment when we will know how prepared we are for teaching in a school. On the other hand, it is helpful since depends of the case we have we receive feedback from the teacher instructor that can be applied during the fallowing class.

Week #1: Expressing personal goals and priorities

 

People´s goals affect their actions, expectations, and perceptions, even (and maybe especially) when they are unaware of these goals. Expressing goals makes their examination possible, thereby providing an opportunity for reassessment.

Write a few sentences describing how you expect to benefit from your field experience (Student teaching) /Practica Professional.

1. One of the most important benefits I expect from the “Practica Professional” is the experience in teaching, I expect to have more experience in teaching since is the first time I am teaching in a school.

2. Second and an important thing is that I expect to learn how to express myself or to act at the moment of managing a class (primary school).

3. Third, I expect to have more practice in planning a lesson.

4. Fourth, I expect to learn new vocabulary and put in practice my grammar.

5 Fifth, I expect to have more fluently when having a conversation in English.

You can use the following questions to reflect on your goals: 

1.      What have you chosen Enseñanza y Traducción del Inglés as your career? What are your options? 

I chose “teaching” because I love working with children, and the most important I really like teaching and interact with kids while they are learning.

2.Listen

3.Read phonetically

2.      What do you see as essential qualities for a teacher which you are striving to develop? (List them and describe role models, if any)

The teacher should be:

1.      Patient: patience is the most important for me, because children tend to have lots of energy and all the time are running or screaming. So, the teacher must greet the students at the beginning of the class and explain them the conduct rules.

2.      Communicative: Teacher explains the different topic with enthusiasm and reflects his/her likes on teaching. The teacher takes time to make sure that all the students understand each topic and identify if some of them need extra help the students with learning disabilities.

3.      Motivational: An enthusiastic teacher motivates the student to have a better understanding of the topic, encourage the students to continue learning and have positive results.

4.       Creative: a creative teacher incorporates new techniques and activities that permit the students to have meaningful activities, new growth experiences, and motivate them while are learning.

5.       Organized: an organized teacher makes efficient use of time and moves in a planned and efficient direction. She/he knows when students need an extra help and know how to handle it.

4.      What do you expect from the Practica Professional? What would you like to be the objectives of this course?

The principal objectives that I expect from the “Practica Profesional” are; to get practice in teaching a large group of students. Experience in creating lesson plans and put them into practice in each class. To be able to work in different situations that the teacher faces every day, like at the moment to manage the behavior of different students (classroom management).