Saalfrank 1
Reflective Paper
EDUC111 Zach Saalfrank
ManchesterCollege
EDUC111: Intro to Teaching
Field experiences are something that every student needs to get the real experience of a job. It gives you a feeling of what really goes on in the job that you are training for. My first field experience was the most influential on me because I had never had an actual field experience. While interning at New HavenElementary school, I had a pretty well understanding of what goes down in the classroom. Now, after taking a few college courses which explain a variety of teaching techniques, I can view teaching from a whole different perspective.
Sitting in on an elementary classroom doesn’t do much if you do not want to learn what is going on between the teacher and the students. I studied multiple teachers this semester and noticed a different teaching style from each and every teacher. Some teachers were strict and mean to their student, and some teachers were nice and caring to their students. Each of them get the job done it just depends what kind of teacher one wants to be. Personally, I would like to have the kids liking me as a teacher and wanting to participate in every activity that we do. Unfortunately, not every teacher can be this way.
I believe that my first day in my classroom as an actual teacher will be frustrating but through time, it will only get better. The teachers that I have been looking in on all have some experience and say that once you get through the first couple years, you will know if you picked the right job for yourself or not. My sister teaches at an elementary school in Indianapolis and says she loves it. I hope one day that I will get a job that I can succeed and grow at just like her.
A negative that I have against field experiences is that we don’t get enough teacher to student action. It would be better if we could actually do hands on work for the teachers to get the real feeling of being a student teacher. If this happened, a student would know further ahead if this wasn’t the right job for him/her. This would also get a student more ready for the job that they are going to be doing for the rest of his/her job if that’s what he/she wants to do. If someone has a true passion for a job, they need to figure out that they actually have one before they get into everything.
Something I learned and will take from my field experience would be from the high school classroom. He put his desk in the back of the room as the students are facing forwards so that he can watch them without them watching him. I think this prevents kids who slack off because they only do it when the teacher isn’t looking. This way kids can’t tell if I’m looking at them or not. He was also kind of a laid back guy just like me. He had music playing some of the class time which is another thing I want to do. It is a proven fact that playing music increases brain activity. This is a strategy I will take and use to its fullest.
I also understand that along with being a teacher, comes a lot of responsibility. Having to plan out lessons everyday for one thing, and also having to deal with every child’s parents. This, I understand, can be very stressful at times. My sister has been explaining me the different situations she has been in and it really hits me that things can get this crazy these days. In the old days, it was legal for teachers to spank the children with a paddle. These days, a teacher can barely touch a child or there will be serious consequences. There have been many cases where a teacher does nothing wrong and gets sewed for no good reason what so ever. My opinion on this topic would be that in becoming a teacher, one should learn the limits on how far you can go to discipline a child. I’m sure that in my three remaining years here at ManchesterCollege, I will know these facts.
The biggest challenge that I am confronted with is that I get nervous when I speak in front of big crowds. I want to overcome this fear very badly, but it always seems to occur. I am not shy in front of the children, just in front of adults and people around my age. What I am going to do to fix this problem is take more speech classes where I can practice and practice over and over again until my fear is no longer within me. I have always been sort of a shy guy, but I am sure that college will further mature me to a state of mind where I can be myself in front of a group of people.
Also, as I am going through college, I will have to figure out my strengths. I have already noticed a few, but only one essential one. I have a passion for being with little kids. I love the feeling of something when I know I had an effect on a child’s life. Every time I am around little kids, they always want to be around me and play with me. I can hear this profession calling my name from far away. I just have to follow the right roads and hang out with the right people to fulfill my dream on becoming an actual Elementary Teacher.
Mr. Saalfrank, that’s what I want to be hearing all day every day for the rest of my long living life. I hope to grow and gain knowledge to the point where I can be the best I can be. There will always be strange and unforgiving roads down this long path of life, but I will have to strive through and make the best of them. Becoming a teacher isn’t just something anyone can do, but I am someone who can.