Being A New Teacher

I have always wanted to be a teacher and as a child I new I had to attend college in order to make this dream a reality. Now that I am more than half way there, I have to admit I am a little scared. Being a teacher is dealing with something new everyday, no day will be the same as the previous one and no student will be the same as another. I never really understood the sigificance of being a teachers until now. In class we mentioned the procedures some schools go through in order to practice for emergency situations; and that's when it hit me, the students are going to count on me! They are going to feel protected because I am there, I will have to remain calm under any situation in order for my students not to be traumatized. They are going to count on me for any problem or concern they are facing. I want to the that person who they can count on. It does scare me a little to know I will have to react accordingly to whatever situation may come, but I know it will all be worth it.Being a teacher is not having a job it is part of who you are and I take great pride in becoming an educator. It maybe a little hard in the begining but we must find the courage and enthusiasm; one day we maybe that one person who changes someone's life!

Site for begining teachers
http://www.beginningteachers.org/
http://www.inspiringteachers.com/

Learning Disabilities

While I was working on my unit for Principles and Techniques I looked up learning disabilities. Never did I imagine the long list I was going to find. I knew about some like ADD and ADHD, but some of the ones I found shocked me. It really upset me because I figured if I didn't know some of these disabilities existed many others may not either. It also upset me because these children must go through such a difficult time to process information or just to get their words out. For example, Dysgraphia is trouble forming letters using pen and paper and can not produce legible hand writing and Dyspraxia is a severe difficulty in performing drawing, writing, buttoning, and other tasks requiring fine motor skill, or in sequencing the necessary movements. Can you imagine how hard it must be for a child to be able to enjoy art class? I was a little happier when I found out there are center and organizations that help through these difficult times!


Check this out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCqeFxDgacQ

Technology in the classroom!

In class today we mentioned how technology can be used in the classroom. This is a very valuable topic because many teachers hesitate when technology is involved; I can understand why, it is hard to try something new. I believe literature is very important, students to value its meaning and the messages and beauty they portray. I am not saying literature should not be used, it definitely should;but I believe we should use technology to help students understand the material better and in a way they find interesting. Students feel comfortable using technology and get excited when something new is introduced. There are so many ways to use technology, such as: movies, radio, internet, databases, online quizzes, power points and so many more. I believe it is important to introduce students to what is out there and how education can be "cool" and fun. Students may sometimes give up on school because it doesn't interest them and I feel technology will open their minds to the importance of education and diverse subjects. Today's adolescents use technology daily and I believe that adding their interests to the classroom would add participation and perhaps raise grades.

I am also pretty excited, because I already got placed for Junior field during break :0)