EDU 1010 Orientation to Education
This past semester I had the opportunity to learn about what it takes to be an educator. I learned through real life experience what it takes to be in a classroom. I spent a total of 27 hours in various classrooms and got to see firsthand from various educators what it is really like. This was an invaluable experience for me. I walked into my first day of field experience with the assumptions that I wanted to teach 1st-2nd grade. I instead worked with not just a 1st-2nd grade classroom but four 3rd-5th grade classrooms as well.
I not only had a chance to experience the developmental differences between these age groups, but the differences in the way they learn as well. I was a bit hesitant when it came to putting together a classroom management plan until I saw the teachers in action. I witnessed firsthand first year educators that had great classroom management skills as well as those that were severely lacking.
I had the opportunity to speak to teachers that had gone to years of schooling to become an educator and a one that had fast tracked to licensure. The differences between them was astounding. The educators that attended school specifically to be an educator had far better classroom management skills than the educator that did not. This concreted my opinion that educators should obtain traditional licensure.
Since having done my field experience hours I have decided to explore the idea of educating outside of just 1st-2nd grade. In the 3rd-5th grade class I was able to mentor several students in math. While a few of them were hesitant to join me at first it and I was very nervous about how it was going to go, they changed their minds and quickly went from not wanting to participate to begging me to take them to group first and my nervousness subsided. This completely changed my assumption that I would have the hardest time with the older kids. As the student’s ability grew, we all grew together. I learned how rewarding it will be to be an educator and the students learned that if you give something a chance and stick with it, it pays off in the end.
While in the 1st-2nd grade classroom my first day I walked around the classroom as I was instructed observing kids, helping where I was needed which was much calmer than I had anticipated. The fun started when the marshmallow began flying, in a room with 30 kids, two teachers, a TA, and myself I never expected what happened next. The one teacher disappeared, the TA was helping kids and the lead teacher felt that kids should be allowed to be kids. Marshmallows were flying everywhere including the classroom next door at kids who were taking a test. I happened to be standing near the kids launching marshmallows just as they began throwing them at the kids next door. The teacher looked at me and turned away. I knew I had a choice to make, stand there and watch the kids disrupt the classroom on the other side of the wall or take action and get them back under control. I stopped the kids from throwing the marshmallows with the TA’s help after I had only managed to get about half of them to stop.
After this incident in my field experience it was much easier to put together a classroom management plan for my own future classroom. As well as see how important a classroom management plan is so to avoid a disruption like this before it presents itself and gets out of hand. I had had the opportunity to see firsthand productive, orderly classrooms as well as see ineffective classroom management. This made it a lot easier to put together a plan for my own future classroom.
When I did my teaching demonstration video I was nervous about how it was going to go, especially with two of my own children in the group I did the activity with, but it went well, even with my two year old trying to pull me out of my chair and it gives me an opportunity to see myself in action.
I am on my way to becoming an educator armed with knowledge of how to put together a lesson plan, a classroom management plan, and my philosophy of education and I cannot wait to obtain my educator license and begin teaching.
