"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

What I've Learned This Year

I recently read Mr. McClung’s post titled “What I’ve Learned This Year” in which enlightened me to several things. In his post he discusses the things he learned in the classroom during his first year of teaching. Mr. McClung covers seven main topics: how to read the crowd, being flexible, communication, being responsible, not being afraid of technology, listening to your students and never stop learning.

Mr. McClung spoke volumes in a few short paragraphs and I completely agree with his advice. Teachers should focus their lesson plans more on their student rather than their colleges. If a teacher is focused more on making a good impression on their colleges than on the student, then the student is often left struggling to keep up. A teacher should also try to be flexible because nothing ever goes exactly to plan. As a teacher you must also have good communication skills in order to solve all the problems that will be presented to you. Teachers should also have a certain level of responsibility. Set expectations and have goals for your students but do not punish them if they fall short instead encourage them to try again. Technology is a way of life and teachers should not be afraid of it but they do not have to be masters of technology. I believe one of the most important things for a teacher to do is to listen to his or her students. I believe this effects the student more than anything. It shows the student that you care about he or she and it forms strong bonds of trust. The final thing Mr. McClung discussed was how a teacher should never stop learning and I completely agree. I believe no one should ever feel they are intelligent enough to stop learning because new facts are discovered every day. A teacher can learn on a day to day basis by so many different forms like their students, colleges, workshops, news, and the internet.

Mr. McClung’s post gave me as a future teacher a better incite to what to expect in my first year of teaching. No matter how many classes you take to prepare for teaching it still is not the same as hands on learning experience. I think that is what his post covered, the topics that you are not taught in the classroom but the ones you learn when you are placed in your first classroom.