Blog Post #9

What I've Learned this Year- A blog post by Mr. McClung, a teacher in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This post is a reflection on his first year teaching. He begins by reminding us that our lessons should be student or audience focused. He urges us to be flexible. Don't set your expectations so high that a minor blip derails your days plans. He stresses the value of good communication with your students and coworkers. As first year teachers I'm sure we will lean heavily on our fellow teachers. He suggests that we "be reasonable", and states that "our job as teachers is to simply pick them up after they fail, dust them off, and encourage them to try again". Two final suggestions that he makes are to continue learning and to not be afraid of technology.

I really enjoyed Mr. McClung's blog post. Anytime someone in your profession shares their experiences you should try to learn from them.  What I learned from Mr. McClung was the underlying theme of his suggestions, ATTITUDE. Lessons won't always go the way you plan them, co-workers won't always see things the way you see them, and students won't always achieve what you hoped they would. The attitude that you bring to the table will make or break your year. So, Focus on your students, Be flexible, Set realistic expectations, Be a good communicator, Be reasonable, Continue learning, and Embrace technology!