Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year

The learning experience will never end no matter who you are, even if your a teacher. This is one of the ideas presented by Joe McClung. At the end of the 2009 school year, Joe McClung a 6th grade teacher decided to write down some of the things he learned from his the first year he was a teacher. How to read the emotions of a crowd, be flexible, get his message across, be non-judgmental, embrace technology, acknowledged your students ideas, and never ignore a chance to learn. These are valuable lessons, and I'm glad I read the lesson plan beforehand without having to learn these things alone with no one to help me understand it. I found these to be the most valuable for me.

1. Don't let the lessons be all about your ideas You can't focus on how your superiors are judging you, you need to focus on whether the students are understanding the content. I have never spent too much time on what others think of me. You should do, even if it makes you look stupid, whatever you think will most help your students. Your job is to teach not to look cool.

2. I am in no way, shape, or form shy. I have never been afraid of talking to people I don't know. According to Mr. McClung, the best way to tolerate your job and build a good relationship with your colleagues and students is talking to them. Communication is both talking and listening. Listening to your students and taking an interest in their lives can gain you their respect.


3. Don't expect more from your students than is reasonably possible, because it's cruel and will hurt them if they feel they disappoint you no matter what they do. You're the teacher, you're supposed to be helping them learn. I get pretty annoyed when people don't understand something the first time I explain. But this is something that I am working quite hard on to change.

Someone should always try to remember that they are not the center of the universe. The people around you are as important as you are. You should always do your best to understand what other people think.

What I Learned This Year 2010

Three years later Joe McClung is still able to make a blog post about his experiences as a teacher time as an 8th grade teacher. The lessons he learned this year are: know who your boss is, don't expect others to care about what you care about, don't be afraid to be an outsider, don't be controlling, and don't get complacent. So lets get started.


1. It's okay to be yourself, especially if your thinking of changing yourself to get slight approval from people who honestly don't matter to you. I have always been okay with being an outsider mostly because people disliked the fact that I don't pander to them. If I end up being an outsider among my fellow teachers for focusing on students? I really wouldn't care. But this is definitely an important thing for most people to learn.

2. This is lesson Mr. McClung learned from a teacher who he regularly went to for advice. If you're teaching something, don't forcibly show them how to do something, your job is to guide them. No matter how much they struggle, you should never do it for them. If you do it for them, they will never learn to do it themselves. It is a very powerful urge to overcome. But if you can overcome it you'll be a better teacher for it.

3. Don't let yourself get too bogged down in a daily routine. make changes daily.Challenge yourself with new tasks that you would never have thought of yourself. I understand the urge to have a routine. To be perfectly honest I love routines. They're easy. If you're in a routine you don't have to think you just do what you've always done. If you overcome this life will be more exciting.