So I am officially a working teacher. Now I graduated in December, thus, I was a teacher but now I am actually about to get paid to be one. It's exciting, scary and really overwhelming all in one breath. This picture says it best. I am barely keeping my head above water and then I turn around and there is another wave of doubt, frustration and anxiety that must be overcome as I proceed down my journey of teaching. I wonder if this is where the term "sink or swim" comes into play?
I know these feelings will pass and it will just take some time to get into a new routine and get comfortable with what I am teaching and how everything operates. Before as an intern at least there was someone in the room with you, now I'm THE teacher...what have I got myself into? It all comes down to change. It's funny, we know nothing stays the same forever and that to grow and evolve we must face change and even seek it out, yet when it gets here we wonder if we will ever experience "normal" again. I think I read somewhere, or someone told me that the feelings of being uncomfortable and uneasy is a sign that we are growing and developing as a person. Well if that is the case, there is a whole lot of growing and developing going on with me right now. I liken it to the analogy of a rock tumbler. You throw the rough, unfinished and raw rock in, it gets tossed around a bit and shaken up and then out comes this lovely unrecognizable piece of wonder. Maybe that is what is happening here. I get thrown into an unfamiliar situation, forced to "sink or swim", and challenged to put to use that which I have been taught and that which I have not. My hope is that I come out the other side, first of all alive, and second a more confident, effective and relaxed teacher and person.
If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
First teaching job
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2 comments:
Hi Tyler,
I was looking at the Digital Inservice site made by Alex and found your blog. I am a retired teacher of 30+ years and for my last two years learned how to teach using technology. You wonder about feeling "normal" again. Teaching was never the same once I took on that project and I was absolutely rejuvenated at my job.
I believe that a good teacher is always willing to try new things in the classroom. Your generation of teachers are going to experience a wonderful and new way of teaching that will be very exciting and challenging and students may learn so much more than ever before due to the use of technology. Good luck to you. I envy the excitement you will experience in your career. Remember that change is the spice of life and you will be much more stimulated about teaching when you are trying new things. Have fun being the "guide on the side".
Ev Sillers
Thanks for the comment Ev. As each day goes by I find myself thinking more and more about what my new role as a teacher is in this digital and technical world we call teaching. I have come to an early conclusion that my goal as a teacher is to teach students how to teach themselves. It doesn't matter if I am teaching Math, Physics, Drafting...fill in the blank, in the end students may remember a few things from the content but the bigger picture is did I teach them something about themselves and how best do they learn. I find I am focusing more on being a resource and providing valuable resources to my students that help them achieve success in the content and understanding about how to learn. To me this simplifies my teaching and makes me a more efficient teacher because I know where I should be focusing my energy and time. I am sure this philosophy of teaching, I guess you could call it, will change and evolve as I embark on my teaching journey but I feel I am on the right track.
Tyler
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