Reflection 4

Last Thursday we had the opportunity to go to the Junior Highs. When we first got to the school, excitement to become a teacher hit me! Going to the school first made me remember those awkward years and feelings of wanting to belong. Those years are such impressionable years in which teachers can have such a great impact!

As for the class we got to sit in on, we got to watch Mr. Meeks teach tech 1 and econ. Overall, he was a great teacher. The things we were learning in class could be boring to some of the students, but with Mr. Meeks, he was very talented at tying in what the class was learning to things that related to the students. I think this is very important because it helps the students to relate the subjects to their own personal lives. Just as he did, I want to try and be similar in my way of making things relatable to the students.

As for things to watch for, I think mind tools used in class need to be better evaluated before put in to class activities. In the econ class, they had a computer program they used in which they sold and bought goods. The game did not help the kids learn at all about how economics work by playing this game. For majority of them, it was a guessing game in what to do with the program. It is very important that such programs help the kids develop skills rather than just wasting their time.

Overall, what I gained most from this experience was the actual realization of how impactful teachers can be on their students. I've always known that they can be, but going in and sitting in on these classes made me really see how impressionable students can be and how it is up to you how much they learn. I once heard a quote that your students are like sponges. They absorb as much as you put into them. As a current student, I need to learn not only the materials of what I'll be teaching, but also the best ways to teach my kids. I want to be able to help them capture, expand, teach, and evaluate what they learn. I hope I can one day help my kids learn and enjoy what they are learning.