Blog Assignment 9

"What I’ve Learned This Year,” is a very inspiring blog post by Mr. McClung. In his post he explains his experiences from his first year of teaching, and also gives some great advise on how to handle certain situations as a new teacher. Mr. McClung points out seven great facts that all teachers should be aware of.

He starts out with “How to Read the Crowd” and explains that a teacher’s main focus shouldn’t be on how they are giving a lesson, they should be more concerned about how the students are reacting and receiving the lesson being taught. “Be Flexible” this was my favorite considering Mr. McClung says there is no perfect lesson, so don’t beat yourself up over it if something goes wrong. I also like how he says to do everything with a smile on your face, this is important because if kids see that your frustrated about something they most likely are going to take advantage of that. “Communicate,” communicating with people is something that is very important not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom as well. McClung explains in this tip that communication is key to getting along with your fellow teachers. “Be Responsible,” this is pretty much a quality everyone should have in the working field, especially being a teacher. He says in this tip that teachers sometimes expect too much out of their students and don’t get discouraged when they don’t reach your goals. I like how he states that the students are not perfect and neither are we, that is something all teachers should take into consideration. “Don’t Be Afraid of Technology,” I’d say this is the most important tip of them all! McClung states that technology is our friend, and is essential in today’s society, which is very true. “Listen to Your Students,” Mr. McClung was inspired by a student simply stating “I know my teacher cares about me as a person when he listens to what I say.” He believes that we should build a good teacher student bond, and I agree that’s important in the classroom. The students are more likely to respect that teacher if they show that they actually care. Last but not least, “Never Stop Learning” he explains that it is important to continue learning not only for the students but for yourself!

After reading this post it helped me realize how challenging teaching can be first starting out. I can only hope that when I become a teacher I can absorb all of the things Mr. McClung did within his first year. This is a great post that I think all teachers should read, especially the ones new to the field.