Blog Post #9

Mr. McClung's Yearly Reflections

Mr. McClung's post started with a picture of this track team, so I thought I would do the same thing with my basketball team...and yes, they are always this crazy!



Mr. McClung's posts were very honest reflections of his experience during a particular year. Of course, I related to the fact that he was a social science teacher and a coach! That was awesome! There were 3 main points that stood out in the two posts I read.
The first point that hit me was when he discussed how important it is to continue to challenge yourself...try not to use old lesson plans. This immediately made me think of EDM 310 because Dr. Strange will be the first one to take suggestions, and many of our assignments are based off previous students' ideas and posts. At first I wasn't sure why he did that, but now it's starting to come together for me. Changing year to year is a must...growth is a must if you want to be a successful teacher. I change or modify my basketball plays, practices, and drills each year as a coach, so it would only make sense to do the same thing as a teacher.
The second point Mr. McClung made was the use of PD (Professional Development). This is necessary to grow as a teacher, and you can't be afraid of change when it comes to this. Always have an open mind. Again, basketball is what I relate most things to, so the first thing that came to my mind was how my boss when I was coaching college basketball. She always made all of the assistant coaches attend the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association)Convention. We would go for days to attend different meetings, and always left with a wealth of knowledge, as well as making new contacts and networking with other coaches. As a teacher, I am learning how important PD is for my future classroom.
The final, and to me the most important, point was to remember who you are working for....THE KIDS! This quote really touched me, and will stay with me, "Worrying about perception of adults has never done anything positive for me, but making sure that my kids are taken care of and enjoying class has done wonders for me. As long as I stick to this rule and remember who I really work for then I should never divert down the wrong path." Since I've been subbing I can tell who the good teachers are just by how the class acts (even though I have never met the teacher). There will be classes, even younger kids, that are well-behaved and respectful. These classes are effortless and enjoyable. Even when the students walk in and see a sub they are disappointed their teacher isn't there. I hope I am one of these teachers. On the other hand, I have been in a couple (not too many thankfully) of classrooms where the students have literally cheered, and not because it's ME and I'm fantastic, but because it's not their teacher. These classes have tended to been a pain, and have made subbing awful. It's sad but I am learning that it is not the kids, it's the teachers! When the students feel they are in a safe environment, and they are respected, they will 99% of the time treat you the same way. This is the positive environment I want in my classroom. I want to offer a challenging and rewarding environment for my students, and I don't want them to hate my class. However, if that happens to me, I will without a doubt look in the mirror, and try to change myself, not my students. Mr. McClung's reflections were great, and made me really think about what I want my reflections to say after each year of teaching and coaching.