Life of a teacher blog

How did I cope/manage completing the three days of "Life of a teacher" ?

I found my three days in "the life of a teacher" to be a highly enjoyable experience and one in which I learnt a lot from. This experience provided me with valuable insights into what my future as a teacher might be like when I have my own classroom and I was very excited to take each day on. I also felt that as each day progressed, I grew in confidence which lead me to take on more tasks as the days went by.

To cope with the three days of a life of a teacher, I maintained a positive, resilient and optimistic mindset when challenges arose. I tried to focus on learner successes and find joy in their progress as opposed to feeling uneasy and scared of the process. Additionally, I embraced mistakes as I acknowledged that mistakes are a part of the learning process. I was open minded during this experience and was open to any form of constructive feedback my mentor teacher was willing to give me.

Within these three days, I also found myself constantly active and in motion due to a teachers day being highly adaptable to change. This showed me just how often teachers need to think on their feet in addressing the needs of their learners. Within a fast paced environment, I developed the skill of being flexible and adaptable in the face of unexpected situations and in order to overcome these challenges, I had to plan effectively.

How did I feel taking on all the responsibilities of a teacher in Block 1 compared to Block 2.

At the beginning of block 1, I felt apprehensive about assuming all the teacher responsibilities as I was concerned about making mistakes. However, when it was time to do a day in a life of a teacher for block 2, I felt that I was definitely more equipped to take on this role. Aside from feeling apprehensive in block 1, I felt excited to be given the opportunity to engage in all teaching responsibilities. While in block 2, I felt empowered and capable. I felt more comfortable to teach in block 2 and the learners were also more comfortable with me teaching as we had formed a relationship with one another and they had gotten used to how I operated. Further to feeling empowered and capable, I also felt a sense of growth and development from block 1 compared to block 2. I recognised that handling all responsibilities is a valuable learning experience which can only make me a better teacher.

Which activities did I find most challenging? How did I overcome these challenges?

Addressing physical safety concerns as a teacher was the role of a teacher that I found most challenging. This role comes with a great deal of responsibility because you, as the teacher, become the person learners turn to when they encounter problems or emergencies. They often seek guidance from you during these times - even if you might not have the answer. I was at hockey practice and one of the learners tripped and fell, landing on her arm. The coaches had sent her to me as I was the only "teacher" on duty due to the teacher in charge leaving early for a family emergency. In this moment, I had felt uneasy about how the learner was feeling and how her arm looked so I decided to walk this learner to the office for the receptionist to phone her mom to come and collect her. This was challenging as I had to make the decision to leave hockey practice to attend to this incident quickly as I could see she was in pain. It was also a challenge to stay calm in the moment as this was my first broken arm!

As I made my way to the office to report what had happened, I immediately reached out to the teacher in charge, sharing the details of the incident. Simultaneously, I sought guidance from another teacher who was conducting a meeting in her classroom at that time. It was a challenging situation as I was the sole person on duty, responsible for attending to the student's needs while also supervising the other learners at hockey practice. To address this challenge, I informed the coaches that I needed to respond to the incident, and I requested that they temporarily assume responsibility. I assured them that I would return promptly once the situation had been resolved and I notified all relevant parties on what had happened and how it had happened.

After analyzing the results of my self-evaluation survey, where would I rate myself higher?

I would rate myself higher on the point of "newly qualified teachers having highly developed literacy, numeracy and information technology (IT) skills." I initially rated myself as "developing", however after teaching experience, I would rate myself to be "proficient" in this area. Through my teaching experiences, I had the opportunity to put my skills into practice. As I engaged with the learners and designed lesson plans, I found that my skills were more advanced than I initially thought. Further to this, the more I taught, the more I gained practical experience. I refined my skills and became proficient in areas that are critical for effective teaching. Additionally, due to teaching being a dynamic profession that requires constant adaptation and learning, I encountered different teaching scenarios and varying student needs, I developed literacy, numeracy and information technology skills to meet these challenges effectively.

Another point where I would rate myself higher would be on the point of "newly qualified teachers being able to identify learning or social problems and work in partnership with professional service providers to address these." I initially rated myself as "developing", as I had not be exposed to many learning barriers in my previous school, however I would consider myself to now be "proficient" in this area. Through my teaching experiences, I was exposed to a more diverse range of students and learning environments. This exposure presented me with a broader spectrum of learning and social challenges, which enabled me to develop my ability in identifying and addressing these issues effectively.

How have I improved these competencies through this experience ?

I improved on the competency of developed literacy, numeracy and information technology skills by being exposed to resources such as iPads in my school. This lead me to be more imaginative in my lesson planning and it made my lessons more vibrant and interactive. Additionally, the incorporation of iPads offered multi-media opportunities which allowed me to incorporate diverse forms of content such as videos, interactive applications and research on the internet. This incorporation of multi-media learning, broadened the scope of your teaching methods and made it easier to cater to various learning styles. Further to this, the use of iPads, increased learner participation and collaboration in the classroom. As it encouraged learners to interact with the content in a more personalised way, fostering their own literacy and numeracy skills.

I have also improved my competency of being able to identify learning or social problems through this experience as I was able to build a relationship with the learners, particularly within block 2. The learners were more comfortable with me and I was able to observe their behavior patterns throughout my time on teaching experience. Further to this, when I noticed atypical behavior that differed from the neurotypical behavior norms, I would engage in conversation with my mentor teacher to understand this behavior or challenge in more detail. To further improve this competency, I ensured that I was present for learner support classes to see how the teacher created learning moments in a more controlled environment for these learners.

Click me to see the full form on beginner teacher competencies

Looking at the exit level outcomes and the final comments of my mentor teacher in my school assessment log and report, I will compare my initial self evaluation with these exit level outcomes.

1. Demonstrated sound subject, curricular and pedagogical knowledge through the practice of teaching

My mentor teacher scored me a five for this competency whereas, in my initial self evaluation, I had scored myself a four to be proficient in this area. At first, I felt that I was not prepared to have sufficient subject, curricular and pedagogical knowledge, particularly for specialist subjects like drama and music. However, this experience taught me that I am distinguished in this area if effective planning is put in place to create these learning opportunities.

2. Identify and adapt teaching methods to unique needs of learners in diverse settings

My mentor teacher scored me a five for this competency whereas in my initial self evaluation I had scored myself a five to be distinguished in this area. I feel that I am sensitive towards learners needs and am observant of learner behavior.

I felt that I was distinguished in this area to deal with the unique learning needs of each learner in diverse settings. Through experience, I was presented with the opportunity of working with learners from diverse backgrounds and abilities which truly highlighted my patience for working with learners who need a bit more assistance. Particularly in Afrikaans lessons, when the specialist teacher was moving on with the rest of the class. I was able to sit with those learners who were struggling in a one on one setting. During this time, I was able to work at a slower pace and adapted teaching methods to suit their needs.

3. Use and develop reliable methods of assessment to assess learning and improve teaching and learning

My mentor teacher scored me a five for this competency whereas, in my initial self evaluation, I had scored myself a four to be proficient in this area. I feel that I did not have enough knowledge on the standard of assessment. For example, when making worksheets, some learners found them to be challenging and I had to re-explain what I wanted to achieve for them to complete the assessment effectively. Further to this, I found that my layout of assessment layout differed to that of mentor teacher which initially made the learners feel uneasy as it was not what they were used to. This was despite my best efforts to make my assessment as similar as possible. However, as I developed on my practicals, I believe that I developed reliable methods of assessment to assess learning through the use of blooms taxonomy.

Reflecting critically on practice, skills and ethics to enhance professionalism in the teaching profession.

My mentor teacher scored me a five for this competency whereas, in my initial self evaluation, I had scored myself a four to be proficient in this area. I felt that my presence in classroom practice needed development as I was still getting used to the learners and I struggled to create a conducive learning environment when the learners overpowered the lesson with excitement. As time progressed, I grew in confidence and my classroom management became better. I found myself to have proficient interpersonal skills, which gave me the ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with learners and teachers. Throughout my time on teaching experience, I felt that I conducted myself in an appropriate and professional manner that would not bring myself, the school and my university brand into disrepute.

Please see the Exit level outcomes and final comments of my mentor teacher.