In this post to "At the Teacher's Desk", Mr. McClung shares a little of what he's learned over his past year as a teacher. One lesson McClung shares that he's learned is about keeping his material student centered. Mr. McClung states that when he first started teaching, he was so focused on presenting students with the information that he did not try to make sure the students had a full understanding. A lot of teachers need to learn this lesson. I understand that teaching is your job and that you have to meet certain requirements, but at the same time you're supposed to make sure that your students can do the material you teach. What difference does it make that you went over the material if no student in your class can perform the tasks?
Another lesson Mr. McClung shared with us is one I wish that one of my current teachers would learn before the end of this semester. You may plan a perfect lecture, but it will never happen! Students get confused. I'm sorry that you want to stick to your syllabus but I was under the impression that it was tentative. There are certain things you have to teach us before we must move on to the next class, but I promise that if you slow down we won't get too far behind.
These are just a few of the lessons Mr. McClung shared in his blog post. However, these are the two that I felt where the most important. I've had loads of teachers in my life, some just starting and some who've been teaching since the invention of paper, and a lot of them really need to have a one-on-one session with Mr. McClung.
I completely agree Talisa! Sometimes new teachers are so worried about teaching us everything that they don't realize you can't teach unless somebody is going to learn. For these students to learn, sometimes you have to slow down and think on their level. I applaud teachers who can get through the curriculum in a timely manner, yes, but this typically leaves little to no time for discussions in class, something to get the kids involved. Without students being drawn into the classroom, what makes a teacher think the student is going to learn? They won't. I agree with you and Mr McClung both. I would proofread more, but overall great job here!
ReplyDeleteOutstanding post Talisa!
ReplyDeleteI agree, there is no perfect lesson. Being flexible and able to go with the flow is vital to good teaching and learning. Nothing on this world is perfect and we should not expect perfection. In my experience even though lessons may not go as planned often times they turn out better. If there is no opportunity for mistakes then there is no opportunity to learn something new. SS