Life of a Teacher

How did you cope/manage completing the three days of "Life of a Teacher"?

Preparation: Before I did my three days of full responsibility, I made sure I was well-prepared. I reviewed my lesson plans and materials, and made sure I understood the curriculum and objectives for these days.

Time Management: Time management is crucial as a teacher. I planned my day carefully, allocating time for teaching, breaks, and administrative tasks. I created a daily checklist to stay organized.

Classroom Management: I maintained a well-managed classroom. I set up clear rules and expectations for the students, and I was consistent in enforcing them. I addressed any discipline issues promptly and fairly. My classroom management tool helped me to manage the learners and be in control.

Effective Communication: Communication was key, for both the learners and with me. I kept lines of communication open with my mentor teacher and asked for guidance if I needed it. I communicated clearly and positively with all the learners.

Reflect and Learn: After each day, I took some time to reflect on what went well and what could be improved. Learning from my experiences was essential for growth and improvement as a teacher with full responsibility.

---

How did you feel taking on all the responsibilities of a teacher in Block 1 compared to Block 2?

Block 1: When taking on the responsibilities of a teacher for the first time, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. It was a new and significant step in my educational journey. There was a few concerns about whether I am adequately prepared and whether I can effectively manage the classroom. The first time was challenging as I was still learning the ropes and gaining confidence.

Block 2: With some experience, I felt a bit more confident and comfortable in my roles. I had a better understanding of the classroom management, the lesson planning, and the needs of the learners. I have developed strategies for handling various situations and challenges. While there was still some nerves and new challenges to face, the second time felt less intimidating and more manageable.

---

Which activities did you find most challenging? How did you overcome these challenges?

Classroom Management: In my first day of a life of a teacher I found managing the classroom and maintaining discipline to be challenging. I overcame this, through establishing clear rules and expectations, being consistent in enforcing them, and using positive behaviour management techniques. Learning from my experienced mentor teacher and seeking professional development also helped.

Differentiated Instruction: I also found adapting different teaching methods to meet the diverse needs and abilities of students to be more challenging than expected. I have overcome this by getting to know the learners in the classroom, using flexible lesson plans, and providing extra support to struggling students.

Time Management: Balancing teaching, grading, lesson planning, and other administrative tasks was challenging at first for me. I overcame this challenge by creating daily schedules and checklists, prioritizing tasks, and seeking help from my mentor teacher and fellow student when needed.

---

Analyse your results of your self - evaluation survey, where would you rate yourself higher?

Newly qualified teachers must know who their learners are and how they learn; they must understand their individual needs and tailor their teaching accordingly: I would definitely rate myself higher under this component because I have learned much more about how learners learn and how I can adapt my lessons to fit the learning needs of all the different learners.

Newly qualified teachers must be able to manage classrooms effectively across diverse contexts in order to ensure a conducive learning environment: I would also rate myself higher in this component because I have learned and developed new skills on how to manage a classroom effectively and how to work with learners that are disruptive.

Justify how you have improved these competencies through this experience?

Newly qualified teachers must know who their learners are and how they learn; they must understand their individual needs and tailor their teaching accordingly: I have improved this competency through getting to know all the learners individually and seeing what their different needs are. This allowed me to adapt my lesson plans according to the different needs and have a successful lesson.

Newly qualified teachers must be able to manage classrooms effectively across diverse contexts in order to ensure a conducive learning environment: I have improved this competency through learning more about the different classroom management tools and finding one that works for the specific class that I was in. This helped improve my lessons and create a better learning environment for all the learners.

---

Look at the exit level outcomes and the final comments of your mentor teacher in your School Assessment Log & Report. Compare this to the initial self-evaluation you had completed at the beginning of your teaching experience.

Trough looking at my exit level outcomes and comments that my mentor teacher gave me and comparing them to my self evaluation, I still have some work to do and experience to gain. I have definitely improved in the different components and I truly believe that I am now fully able to handle a classroom on my own. This teaching experience really helped me to gain a lot more knowledge on how to work with different learners and how to manage a classroom effectively as this was the part that I was most stressed about. I am confident in my abilities of being a teacher and I am exited to see what lies ahead for me in the teaching world.