Shaping My Understanding...

The inquiry project so far, has helped me to get an understanding of what it is to be a "first year teacher" and what to do to reach the goals in "Portrait of a Teacher." I have had the pleasure of working with a second year teacher at Arts High School in Newark. She has inspired me even more to become the teacher I have always wanted to be. She welcomes me into her classroom everytime I visit and shares all her experience with me as well. I have questioned her about everything I could think of, and she has always come back with a warm and informative answer. I appreciate everything she has helped me with, and look forward to interviewing her even further. I have learned that first year teachers, especially those whose curriculum and grade level changes at the last minute, are dealing with loads of stress. They need support to get through the year and need a staff that is willing to help. First year teachers, I have learned, are entering a new world, one that is their own. Student teaching is thrown out the window, and now they are dealing with their own class, their own students, and their own curriculum. It's basically like walking into the jungle where students can be your biggest nightmare if you don't walk in with confidence and a plan.

This has shaped my understanding of public education by basically letting me live in the world of a teacher, and experience for myself what it is like. I have also been able to substitute at my own high school for a first year teacher. I am able to see how he handles his class by how the students are treating me. I learn through the students how this specific teacher works, his personality, and whether or not the children respect him. I have been able to see what is needed as a first year teacher to gain the respect of the students right from the start. I am beginning to understand how important a solid teacher/student relationship needs to be in order for the students to be better prepared for their future. Students need to understand that a teacher is there to do just that; teach, prepare, make the difference. If they don't understand what the teacher is trying to do, and why he/she is trying to do that, they will not be as accepting of learning in the classroom, and will give no respect to that teacher.

I am beginning to understand what a teacher needs to do to reach the goals in "Portrait of a Teacher" and why those goals are being set. They are helping teachers create a better learning enviornment while keeping their students interested and able to learn. Teachers need to be able to educate their students and work for them to want to learn, and want to be there. Teaching is extrememly "hands on" and teachers need to work to gain a student's respect. By learning all of this, I am able to see what a first year teacher goes through, and how to apply their resources to my future goals. They have helped me to see what is needed in the classroom, and how important it really is to have support and a welcoming classroom.