Glasser, P. (March 1997) Not half; not some. Phi Delta Kappan, The Professional Journal for Education. Pages 504-8
The article entitled “Not half, not some,” written by Perry Glasser was a very powerful and meaningful article. Perry Glasser tells about his first years of teaching and things that he will remember for the rest of his life. His first day of teaching was in September of 1969, in a public high school in Brooklyn, New York. It has been over twenty seven years that he has been teaching now, but he will never forget all of the important things he has endured throughout his career.
This article goes onto some detailed information about the first years of teaching. These are some of the things that Glasser mentioned that all good teachers know: “a teachers’ most important interactions occur outside the classroom; never confront a student when an audience is present; always know how this week prepares for next week; never try to deceive a class; when the teaching is good, small hairs at the beack of your neck rise.” And for a student planning to become an educator who has bever taught before, it really makes you want to get in there and have that feeling soon.
The best part of the article was the story that Perry Glasser tells about the teacher-parent conferences. He was very anxious the day of the interviews. A department coworker gave him a little advice, to keep the parents talking; this would give a little time to learn about the parent and parents always like to talk about their children. Glasser goes on to tell about a specific conference with a specific parent. He could tell that the lady was a single mother trying to support a family on her own. The lady said that she works two jobs and does everything she can to make ends meet. Obviously she does not see her children much, but Mr. Glasser was already able to tell this about her family. Then the teacher asked what the mothers plans were for the daughter, and the reply that he got was that the mother wanted the daughter to be a teacher. Shocked, Mr. Glasser and the mother went into a conversation that ended up being the most inspirational words a teacher has ever heard, “If my girl is going to get your job, you need to give her everything.
To accomplish this, CDGM employed these student’s parents, which simultaneously provided economic opportunity and parental involvement. According to Sanders, employing parents fostered two results. She writes, “[first], parental involvement helped to build trust and respect between children and their families. Second, Head Start employment helped many parents to work their way out of poverty, ensuring that their children had brighter futures,” (2016, p. 37). In having a clear vision of what “good education” is and what the results of a “good education” should be, CDGM was able to expand their conception of what school can and should address.
Kathy Harrison starts her personal story happily married to her childhood sweet heart Bruce. Kathy was living a simple life in her rural Massachusetts community home as the loving mother of three smart, kind, well-adjusted boys Bruce Jr., Nathan, and Ben. With the natural transitions of family life and the changes that come with career and moving, she went back to work as a Head Start teacher. Her life up until the acceptance of that job had been sheltered an idyllic. Interacting in a world of potluck suppers, cocktail parties, and traditional families had nothing in common with the life she would choose after she became a Head Start teacher.
I believe that the most valuable lesson learned for me through my experience was that it is completely different when you have to come into school having the mindset of an educator rather than just a student; meaning that there is much more to focus on as a future educator rather than just being a student. For instance, as a student, you typically go in there and worry about just learning the lesson and completing the assignments for your own benefit. With the mindset of an educator, there are far more things going on in your head besides the lesson of the day. For example, you have to constantly wonder whether students are able to understand the lesson and whether your methods of teaching are effective. You also wonder how your class learns best since not all students learn the same. So, you have to have a variety in your teaching so that each student is able to feel comfortable at certain points of your assignments and teaching skills. One of the least valuable things I learned from my field experience was traditional note taking and lectures. I say this because it is something that I grew up knowing in my classrooms when I was a students. I believe that learning new ways to teach is extremely beneficial and I enjoy seeing more and more teachers incorporating this into their lesson
Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues. 5th Ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.
Any additional advice to a first year teacher? “Be passionate. Practice your lesson plans and have them planned out in at least a week in advance. Be who you are. If you’re funny, be funny. If you’re not funny, don’t try to be funny, the students will see right through
The section goes into detail about practices that have been designed to prepare future teachers. In chapter one, Feiman-Nemser discusses three phases of learning to teach: preservice education programs, induction, and on the job experience. She makes three arguments that serve to set the tone for the remainder of the section. First, she argues that the manner in which teachers learn to teach in a preparation program does not agree with what professionals know about learning. Principally, many preservice programs ignore basics of learning while preparing teachers for their future classroom. Secondly, the author discusses how unintended lessons may contribute more to a person’s classroom philosophy than formal courses. For example, a teacher may learn steps that are convenient or helpful, which are not based on best practices. Teachers often learn how to manage a classroom based on experience or observation, but it may not be the best way to handle the situation. The preservice program often contains an element of practicum and student teaching, which can be effective, but can also lead to bad habits based on short-sighted goals and incorrect observations and experiences. The first chapter also investigates the induction phase and identifies differences of thought and implementation that can hinder a program’s effectiveness. Finally, the author discusses the in-service
guide me through student teaching and the early years as a teacher. The core principles of my
This being my first year of teaching I feel there are so many things that I have learned, and have helped me too become a good teacher. Yet I have so much more to learn, I still believe that students have the ability to learn and as a teacher it is my job to find ways to help them to become the best person they can be. Through being a reflective teacher, using professionalism, respecting diversity and having collaboration and community connecting this can be accomplished. When I am having fun teaching the student will have learning that material, this will help them to be relaxed and engaged in that lesson. I feel it is important to connect what they are learning to things that they have experienced in the real-world.
Looking back from this past year to my earlier school days, one of the teachers that boldly stands out in my memory is Mrs. Miner. No one else has named me as her daughter, Joanie Miller. While at Grace Academy, art class at the end of the day with Mrs. Frisk still makes my sides ache from giggling. During the days when there were no art classes, Mr. Peterson’s enthusiasm for hockey brightened the gymnasium, as he and my father practiced rapid-fire slapshots on some unsuspecting ninth grader. But, through all the memories, I was trying to think of one characteristic of teachers that has shown through the many years. I thought about their dedication, patience and guidance but decided that these wouldn’t do.
I have had many excellent teachers throughout my educational experience, some of these have been wonderful teachers that have set lessons to life. Others have been boring, overly strict, unapproachable, and at times unknowledgeable. I have learned valuable lessons from both. A positive and fun learning environment makes students want to be in the classroom. The first step in learning is that the children must want to be there.
A teacher must discover their role in every classroom. Are they a lecturer, imparting their knowledge and expertise on a subject onto new minds? Or are they a fellow learner, learning alongside their students and discovering new ideas? Teachers must also find a balance of professional and personal. Some teachers make the mistake of getting too close to students, thus being taken advantage of as the “cool teacher” which is a stigma of its own. But must a teacher completely detach themselves from their students? A teacher wants to be approachable, but be respected by their students and maintain a professional distance. Some of my favorite teachers I had were those who were serious about work, but later I would gossip with about other students and teachers. You want to be a teacher who works well with
Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve oneself.
Education is an ever-changing part of society. A classroom teacher is faced with new challenges and obstacles that have never been dealt with before. Students come to the classroom with different life stories. Every student has strengths and weaknesses that surface in the classroom environment. Teachers must understand and focus on utilizing each student's strengths and work to improve weaknesses. Students learn in a variety of ways. The classroom must be a safe zone that appreciates student's viewpoints and allows room for mistakes. When topics in the classroom are related to "real-life" experiences, the information is more likely to be retained. Students learn from one another. The ideas and perspectives that each student brings to the classroom can bring insight into what is being learned. Students have to be allowed to explore new ideas, try them to see if they work, and sometimes fail. When students are encouraged to explore, they begin the process of becoming lifelong learners.
“Teaching is often a difficult process, but the end result is very rewarding. Watching a child develop confidence and seeing a student progress in their studies is a very exciting process. Teaching young children is especially great because it is setting a foundation for life-long learning.”(Chronicle guidance publications). What is teaching? A teacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children), or students (adults) using lectures, audiovisual aids, demonstrations, and computers to present academic, social, and motor skills. Teachers can also teach foreign languages, art, kids with special needs, and P.E. Teaching has changed a lot compared to the traditional methods of just lectures and textbooks. Students now are encouraged to actively learn through groups or individual projects. They have learning games, debates, and experiments to help them through the learning process. Being a teacher would be a great career for anyone who wants to further themselves, to help people, and to have great benefits (chronicle guidance publications).
First, I realized that, teachers carry a lot of weight on their shoulders and have great responsibilities. They have to balance the curriculum, students, parents, lesson plans, common core, and upper management and still maintain a professional demeanor. Second, educators must follow a strong code of ethics. They must be professional at all times with students and colleagues, keep confidentiality, not have or show any prejudice or bias, maintain safe and positive learning environments, help students with problems, and hand out disciplines accordingly. Lastly, I found that when you’re a teacher, your education never stops. Teachers are always trying to improve their own education and professional growth, both for the benefit of their students and for the benefit of themselves.