This term I felt like I was able to really find my voice as a teacher and make the classroom my own. I look back now at how nervous I was to start and laugh at how worried I was that I wouldn’t be able to develop positive relationships with my students or would be unable to control my class. Now only 10 weeks into my time with my class I can not believe we are coming to an end. Some of the most important lessons I have learned this quarter is that sometimes your wonderfully organized lessons will not go as planned, and that is ok. I have also learned that going off on tangents about something specific and small in the lesson can help your students become more engaged. 

​

One of the most important things I learned was how much fun it can be to develop lessons and collaborate with your colleagues. I am very lucky to have a positive and creative relationship with my resident teacher. She encourages me to try new things and supports me when I need a break. She makes it fun to come to school and it has made me realize the importance of a positive work environment not just for students but for yourself. But the positive work environment for me as a teacher spills into the positive classroom environment for students. Being able to create and develop interesting and relatable lessons keep students engaged and wanting to learn. In our classroom, we have been able to have engaging conversations about the American Dream and Beneatha Youngers dream to become a doctor. We have debated word choice to describe characters and how our biases could play into our understanding of a character. We have been able to create a classroom environment where students are willing and open to sharing their writings or ideas, even when they think they are wrong.

​

I have also learned that sometimes you will not get buy-in from all your students. This can be hard and make you feel like not as good of a teacher as you thought you were. However, this one student does not determine the feelings of the whole class. I also learned the importance of showing empathy and understanding. Students have a lot of other events happening in their lives that often feel more important than whatever lesson we are covering. It is important to understand this and recognize when they need a little extra support or time to complete an assignment. Though we already use standards-based grading in the classroom, Feldman’s work has made me reevaluate some of our grading practices to better analyze our potential bias and work towards making a more equitable grading system.

 

It is also through the problems of practice that I have learned so much about some of the other issues that we face in our classrooms. While we covered a wide range of topics, I still question and wonder how I can engage with my students who have difficulties turning in assignments. How can I help my students who are dealing with anxiety and struggling to even start new assignments? If they are in class every day and seem to be engaging with the material, how can I create assessments that allow them to present their understanding? Despite these questions and worries, it has been an amazing experience working with students and collaborating with my department and cohort colleagues on the various issues that arise in the classroom. I am excited to see my students every day and enjoy learning alongside them.