Being an effective...

We all know that a lot of time, energy, and thought goes into being an effective teacher. In order to be one, it is important to be motivated and enthusiastic about working with and interacting with students on a continual basis. The amount of work that goes into lesson planning, classroom coordination, and core curriculum management, can either make or break the efficacy of your teaching goals, depending on the timing, efficiency of planning, and execution.

             

In order to ensure your year goes as desired, as a teacher, I know I must take into account what subject matter and approach to teaching it will best motivate student achievement. Students are all academically, socially, and developmentally different and through differentiated lesson planning, I plan to fine tune their curriculum material to meet the needs of all the students in my classroom. I plan to get to know my students so that I can make decisions that will best fit their situation.

        

A students’ attitude is closely linked to the enthusiasm of the teacher. If I am excited to teach a fun lesson, full of interesting subject matter, games, or activities, a student is much more likely to want to participate. Teachers who reflect on their teaching strategies, not only give room for improvement, but allow themselves to accept credit for the things that went right during the process. I find it is important to build a positive self-esteem, based on the positive things that happened during each stage of the day and with every aspect of the lesson. I feel that when teachers take credit for the things that went right, and focus less on what went wrong, they set themselves up for success and build their own efficacy based on the high standards they set and achieve.  This is something I need to work on for sure!

By establishing classroom routines, both for myself and my students, I hope to become effective at managing time with flexibility and efficiency. Students need to know what is going to happen during the day, so they know what to expect. When students are given a schedule of the day’s events, they have time to mentally take note of anything new or different that may happen that day. By having this type of knowledge, they feel empowered and are not taken by surprise when events change. I want to provide this type of inclusion as a safety-net for students who would otherwise feel out of control with change or disruption to their daily schedule.

As a new teacher, I feel that classroom routines are especially important to encompass. With the rising number of autistic students, who have difficulty with schedule change, I want to make them feel at ease and reduce the amount of anxiety they experience in my classroom. I also feel that by establishing a consistent classroom routine, I will be able to plan for my lessons in a way that will leave me open for unexpected changes, without getting too behind on my curriculum schedule.

I truly can see the importance of having a good attitude when it comes to teaching. If I want my students to love school, it better start with me loving it too!