What I've Learned This Year by Mr McClung
Mr McClung makes some good points in this blog. No matter what education you get, only the classroom will prepare you for the classroom. It is about the students and helping them learn and not about the perfect lesson that we plan. If they're not getting it, maybe we have to come from a different angle. Being flexible is also good advice. The students will have an influence on how fast material can be covered or how much you must reteach. It's a fine line to walk though. If you go too slow, the smart kids get bored and restless. If you go too fast, the slower kids will just shut down and start misbehaving. Flexibility is important.
We must have a reasonable outlook on what we can accomplish in class and what the students can accomplish. We need to have high expectations for the students. Research has shown if we convey to students that we believe they can do something, often they will exceed what they have done in years past simply because we have expressed confidence in them. However, this will not always be the case. So if they don't make it the first time, instead of making them feel like failures, we need to encourage them to keep on trying.
He is correct in his belief that many teachers are afraid and resistant to technology. Most people are somewhat resistant to change to some degree. These teachers need to be convinced that technology can make their life easier, while also increase their chances of reaching some of the students of today. He made a good point about not expecting to master computer skills on our first attempt, we just need to keep trying and we'll get there.
Mr McClung advises that we listen to our students. Good advice, and he is correct when he says we may be the only one who does. In today's society (at least in south Alabama), there are so many kids living with one parent, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or even homeless (I know of a local high school that had several football players who were homeless), these kids don't really have anyone to be a role model or to take the time to know what is going on in their lives. It will take effort to build the trust and develop the relationships, but helping kids improve their lives is better than helping them improve their math scores. Lastly, he mentions we should never stop learning. We can learn more subject matter, new techniques, new technology, what the kids are really into. There is so much we can continue to learn on a daily basis. Why not!!
"[S]everal" homeless? At the same time? Wow!
ReplyDeleteLast week Mr. McClung posted his third annual reflection. I think they get better and better. It will take only 5 minutes or so to read the 2010-2011 What I Learned This Year. I highly recommend it!
The comment on the homeless football players struck me as surprising. I really enjoyed your post and all that you put into it. You had some very good points that I agree with such as having high expectations for students so they push themselves to reach these expectations. I also liked your ending sentence of Why do teachers choose to stop learning.
ReplyDelete