During my field experiences, there were many situations where I felt I was in an unprofessional environment, and it made me very uncomfortable. I was always looking for reasons to eat by myself or not be in the room when other teachers came to visit because I did not want to be the field student who gossiped with the teachers. During student teaching, it has become a completely different world. I have had two exemplary cooperating teachers when it comes to professionalism, and I feel as though they have helped me grow in my professionalism. They deal sternly with students who misbehave but never raise their voices. In a very difficult urban placement, students were talking when they should have been working. I walked around the room of 41 students and pointed out the students who were working nicely and asked the other students to please continue working. I had one student ask me why I did not yell at him. It definitely threw me off because there was no reason to yell at any of them. I asked him why I would need to yell at him, and he told me, "Because everyone else does." That comment has stuck with me for quite sometime, and it really made me believe that I can be successful and professional in an environment completely different than what I know.
One section that really stuck with me was Part 2. Every school has the teachers who "fall in" to the gossip and negativity. I have been very lucky in my two student teacher placements that my cooperating teachers definitely "fit in" but do not "fall in." After the lectures at practicum, I expected to hear gossip and negative comments about students at lunch, but there has not been any. Teachers discuss how excited they are about a lesson or what they did with their families over the weekend. I am really thankful that I have not had to deal with the awkward situation of excusing yourself from lunch. I really liked the quote at the end of the section about naturally fitting in with the right teachers. If you are a positive and professional teacher, you will fit in with the positive and professional teachers.
I had a hard time with Part 7 and what the text said about the less effective schools. Yes, the less effective schools relied solely on textbooks, stayed on a strict schedule, and multiple choice tests, but that may not be completely the teachers' faults. During field, I was allowed to do pretty much whatever I wanted as long as it met the same objectives as the curriculum. During student teaching, however, I do not have that same luxury. The teachers are told to follow the curriculum and stay with the schedule. As the text says, that may not be the most effective way to teach, but that is what the teachers are told to do. Every once in awhile they may stray from the text but not very often, and honestly, if that was my reality everyday, I'm not sure I would love my job either. I did not go into teaching to read a textbook to students, and I would hate to do that everyday. Yes, it is upsetting that the focus isn't on the students, but I'm not sure all of the blame can be on the teachers. I'm sure there are some ways to make the textbook lessons more exciting, but having no say in how to deliver the material would burn me out very quickly.
Sam I totally agree with you on the textbooks. I have seen that the teachers primarily teach from the book. As I go through and follow the instructions of the book, I find myself and the students becoming very bored. I like to incorporate as many outside sources as possible. This is important to get the students engaged. I think it takes a special type of teacher to think out side the box while still teaching "from the text" and meeting all the curriculum standards. I have heard the teachers talk in the lunch room how much teaching has changed in the past decade. They say how it use to be fun and now its more like teaching for the test and that is a shame because what fun is that for the students as well as the teachers. I am in the teaching profession to help and make students want to learn and what is exciting about teaching solely for a state test and then putting all the pressure on the teachers for their students to pass the test so they do not lose their jobs.
ReplyDeleteI also find it important to keep a calm voice when talking with students. That is so sad that students think all teachers yell all the time. Especially if they go home and hear that also. I promised myself that I would not be that teacher that yells non-stop. Students need to feel nurtured and cared for. Even if you may lose your temper, you need to take a few breathes walk away and then come back.