Mr McClung's What I've Learned This Year" Blog Post #9

During Mr McClung's first years of teaching he was faced with obstacles and fears of being a good and effective teacher. Some lessons he learned are as follows:


2008-09 Staying Positive
1) How to read the crowd- A lesson should be delivered in a manner in which the students are actually interested and are learning. The manner of delivery must be audience driven.
2) Be Flexible- The lesson you teach and the one you planned to teach are always different. There are no perfect lessons.
3) Communication- Communication is the hardest skill to develop. Build a strong relationship with other teachers and students through communication.
4) Be reasonable with expectations and standards. We often set standards too high and get upset when they are not met. Standards should be set according to the audience and should always be age appropriate.
5) Don't be afraid of technology- The students are up on just about everything. It may be the only way to keep their interests.
6) Never stop learning
7) Listen
2009-10
Adaptation to change became an important challenge for Mr. McClung in 2009-10. He was moved to a larger district, assigned classes with older children, and had to teach 3 unfamiliar subjects in on e year. He concluded that, on a path least traveled, you must check your ego at the door, and don't be a control freak

My thoughts:
I agree with every conclusion Mr. McClung came up with.
A lesson plan should be just a guideline. It's ok to stray way from the set plan. It all depends on the needs of the audience.
Effective listening is the most important communication skill there is, yet it is the least used.
In setting standards and expectations, i believe a baseline should be established for each objective prior to setting the standard.
A student's perception of a teacher that listens is that they really do care. I know that was the way I judged my teachers when I was in high school.
It is important that a teacher knows their strengths and weaknesses and there is always room to learn more.
Students in junior high or early high school years have the tendency to make everything about themselves. At times, when talking about current events in comparison to past events (History), they don't always get the jest. You have to find a way to make things relevant to their everyday lives. That often times can be difficult.
Lastly,having an attitude of being superior and a control freak usually doesn't go over well with children, especially in a classroom setting. The objective is to get them to learn. You don't want them to shut you out. We as teachers can choose to fight that battle, and possibly even win, however, it makes for a stressful journey. I think Mr. McClung would agree.