Teaching is often viewed as a profession that is simple and fun. Few people take the time to consider all that goes into running a successful classroom and creating an environment in which students strive to learn. A teacher must encompass a wide range of traits and skills. To be a successful teacher you must be patient and caring, while motivating students to do their best. Teachers must monitor their techniques, and adjust to fit the needs of their students. Teachers must look at both the class as whole and individual students and monitor their progress on a wide range of materials. While all this can seem overwhelming it can be extremely rewarding. This is not the simple and fun picture that many hold of teaching. Knowing all these things I am still excited to learn all I can, to become the most productive teacher I am capable of being.
I decided to become a teacher when I was a young girl. I was amazed by the amount of knowledge my teachers had, and looked up to them as role models. Now I know how much work went into their daily planning and lessons. I hope to become a role model for other young girls and boys, and show them that while education can mean hard work it is very rewarding and fulfilling. Being a role model does not end when you step out of the classroom. You must strive in and out of the classroom to lead by example. I currently work with cognitively disabled youth, ranging in age from eight to twenty. These young men and women don't see me only while I am at work. They frequently encounter me in the community. Weather I am at the store or out to dinner, I want them to see me as an example of how to appropriately conduct themselves in public. I enjoy the opportunity to lead by example and teach them important skills without the confines of the classroom.
I feel it is extremely important for all educators to advocate for the needs of their students. I am currently to co-chair of the technology advisory committee, ADCOM, at Chileda Habilitation Institute. The role of this committee is to advocate for the technological needs of the residents and staff of Chileda. I have found this responsibility to be both challenging and rewarding. It is rewarding to look at the needs of the students of Chileda and then push forward through committees to get those needs filled. From touch screen technology, to videophones to communicate with parents, advocating for the needs of students has taught me about the joys of working for students. This experience has also taught me the challenges of finding funds and working a proposal through the system of administration. I continually strive to improve my abilities in this area due to the importance technological materials play in student's lives.
I feel that teachers must constantly strive to expand their knowledge to best serve their students. I set a goal when I started working at Chileda to attend at least one inservice or meeting, regarding the population I am working with, each month. I have found this is a goal that I never struggle to achieve. By attending inservices on Autism, Retts syndrome, Sign Language, Teaching Strategies, and many others I gain knowledge on how to better reach those I work with. I plan to continually learn about the youth I work with throughout my career. These inservices and workshops have shown me how to look at the needs of each individual student, and modify my approach to fit their needs. I have also learned how facilitate learning with multiple ability groups of students, by focusing on their variety of needs.
Observation is one of many keys to becoming a successful educator. I have observed many teachers in their classrooms. As a classroom assistant I observed as many as ten different teachers in a given week. Each teacher approached his or her class in a different way. I was able to observe the many different methods used, and incorporate them into my own personal model for what works within the classroom. I hope to expand my personal pedagogy through further observation of teachers working within the classroom. Learning by watching and working with successful experienced teachers, has been very important to my growth as a future teacher.
Teachers are members of an educational team. Teachers cannot be successful if they fail to work with those around them. It is important to gain knowledge and ideas from co-workers, administration, and parents. I have found that parents often come up with strategies for reaching their child before experienced educators. Through working as a team the needs of students are addressed more efficiently than when working alone. As a member of the medical staff at Chileda I am in direct contact with parents regarding the needs of their children. Those needs may range from health concerns, to how things are going in the classroom, and what type of behavior modification strategies could possibly be successful. I feel I play an important role in connecting parents with the classroom. This is a role I take very seriously and find extremely challenging. What works one day may not work the next and it is a constant struggle to brainstorm new ideas that may make a student more successful.
Teachers must look at each student, and find how to work with their strengths to improve their weaknesses. At Chileda Institute the administration believes in a team approach to almost everything. Due to this emphasis on working together and sharing ideas, I have been given the opportunity to assist in the process of developing students IEP's and IHP's. While this can mean a lot of work for those involved, it is a very educational process. Looking at a student's strengths and advancements and using those to create new goals can be a challenge. Often many considerations must be made for the future needs of the students and the expectations of the family. I hope to continue to be involved in this process, which looks much deeper into students abilities than one would imagine.
As an educator I believe it is important to take a little time each week and look at how things are developing. Reflecting back on how things are working or not working is an important part of being a professional educator. Changing approaches and using new techniques to reach students should be an important part of each teacher's preparation. I hope to expand my knowledge of educational strategies through the Teacher Education Program.
Through working with students of varying abilities I have developed many skills that are important to being a successful educator. I know that teaching is a difficult profession that many people don't fully understand and appreciate. I have a love of teaching that has only grown due to my experiences. I enjoy the trials and successes of my students as if they are my own. I find working with students to be enjoyable and fun. Motivating students to be the best they can be is what I hope to spend my life doing. I enjoy being a role model to students both inside and outside the classroom. It is my goal to continue to gain knowledge on how to be the best educator I can be, and put that knowledge to work within a classroom.