Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year By: Mr. McClung

     Mr. McClung explains what he has learned in his first year of being a teacher. The first lesson was "How to Read the Audience." I am glad that I read this, because I will surely keep this in mind during my own endeavor as a teacher. Teaching should always revolve around the students, and I feel that this has been a concern teachers have forgotten about. When McClung suggested that you need to let your audience drive your instruction, I applauded him in my mind. Not enough teachers think this way. 

     His second lesson was "Be Flexible." I found it ironic when I read his rant on a perfect lesson plan does not exist. He explains he used to beat himself up, and how he had to force himself to just get over it. I found it ironic because just last night I was talking to my friend Scott. Nothing important, just a what-if subject. He had suggested that he hates to plan things. He said that half of the time things don't work out the way things are planned, and that things will always fall into place, at some point, regardless if you have plans or not. It is odd that I heard this the night before I read the article by McClung. Note to self: if things don't work out, or aren't working out, then the things of concern are not finished playing out. In other words, don't sweat it. 

     Lesson number three: Communicate. I find it very reassuring that someone out there knows that communication skills are one of the harder skills to develop. I can testify that I used to be an introvert. It took years out of high school, interacting with people I had never met before, watching others socialize (for many years) before I decided to "break out of my bubble" and get outside of my comfort level. I admit, at times, I'm still a bit shy, but for the most part, I try to be the outgoing person, and even if it means just going out of my way to introduce myself, I know I have put in the effort. Social networking is how the world operates. And as teachers, it is important to encourage communication, by leading by example, and emphasize the importance of it, as well.  

     Lesson number four: Be Reasonable. Although that none of these lessons are more important then one another, in all actuality, this needs to be heavily stressed. Students get highly discouraged when they don't succeed at something and their teacher scolds them. Don't children need reassurance that they can succeed, and that it just takes a little more effort. Too many teachers do not take this into consideration, and I think that  is one of the causes for unsuccessful students, and dare I say drop outs.

     Next lesson: Don't Be Afraid of Technology: McClung suggests that technology is essential to living. I concur with McClung. Technology is where the world is going, and it is incorporated into EVERYTHING we do. We, as teachers, need to prepare our students to do well in the world. If the world is every changing and technology is becoming the basis of life as we know it, then we must include this into the classroom.

     Listen to Your Students. Need I say more? It is sad to think that a child's only safe-haven is the classroom. But that is reality. Some students have no one to talk to, no one who really cares. A child needs to have someone to talk to. A well known fact is that it is often the case that a teacher spends more time with the student then their parent does. Teachers should be more than just an educator. They should be someone who a child can confide in and trust. 

     Never Stop Learning: McClung states that we are in a learning environment, and that we should "soak up as much as we can." I can't agree more. We only damper our students' learning if we, ourselves, refuse to learn. The more we know, the more we can share.