Aspects of the week I found most valuable:
I found many aspects of the week valuable to my professional growth and development. This week gave me the opportunity to learn how to deal with schedule changes due to PSSA testing. Because of the testing, I had to plan around the school's schedule which was different everyday. Dealing with this helped me realize that students are different during different hours of the day. This week I was also able to start planning for teaching Accounting I. Lesson plans for Accounting are much different than Computer Applications and so far involve much more energy and time. Just as I was starting to feel comfortable with my time management and organizational skills, I now have to do things differently. Dealing with this has been valuable because time management is key to any new teacher's future success. I am excited to take over the Accounting class and feel it will be a rewarding experience!
If given the opportunity to start the week over I would?
Unlike last week there are some things I would change if I could start over. If given the chance to start the week over I would be sure to plan fewer days in advance. I finished last week's lesson plan on Friday of last week. Although it seemed like a good idea, I found that I had to change my plans as the week progressed. This made the week somewhat confusing and hard for someone who likes things to go as planned. I also had technology difficulty this week. A few of the student's computers were not working on Wednesday so I had to switch them to different seats. I realized today that they enjoyed those seats and continued to sit there. Next week I will be sure to move them back to their original seats. This week the students tested me on several occasions, to the point where I had to give a detention. I felt bad afterwards but sometimes it is necessary. Nice Mr. Lively may soon change into grumpy Mr. Lively if the students continue to test me. You can only be nice for so long and I must stick to my 3 strike policy.
Hope all of you have had a great week, good luck with week six!
Below is a link to my teachers collaborating via technology website.
http://teacherscollaboratetechnology.ning.com/profile/Shawn
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I can relate to the technology issues. I too had technology problems in class on Thursday that needed immediate solutions. Although that situation created some tense moments for me because all of the desks with computers were being occupied, I think I handled the problem well. These issues and problems we face as teachers are our tests to prove we can create positive outcomes in the face of uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link Shawn. Teaching, especially when we are new at it, can bring new challenges each new day. Looking at each challenge at the end of the day and evaluating how we reacted to it is something that is necessary, especially when we are the only adult in the classroom. We always have to be our best and hardest critic. It makes us better teachers!
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