Blog Assignment #9

Mr. McClung's Blog 


I decided to read Mr. McClung's report on his first year as a teacher, and then read his latest report to see how thing have changed since the beginning.

In his May 27, 2009 post, What I Learned This Year (2008-09) Mr. McClung talks about how teachers get into the mindset of just the teacher. Teachers become so consumed in making a perfect delivery and lose sight if students are truly comprehending what is being said. His suggestion is to just let your audience drive the instruction. I got the message of not being stubborn. If your lesson needs to be changed, then change it. It is important to be flexible. He wrote about not being afraid of technology. This may have been what helped open my eyes. He mentions that teachers can not get over whelmed by technology. It is never too late to stop learning. I am slowly, but surely, beginning to release my stubbornness about the whole technology situation.

After reading his June, 23 2011 post, What I Learned This Year 2010-11, I seem to see I am going to be a lot like Mr. McClung as a teacher. He admits that you can not be afraid to be an outsider. He says you find yourself being concerned with what other teachers or adults think of you. The approval of his students is much more important to him than anyone else. Our decision making should be based on our students not the idea of pleasing adults. I feel this to be so true, I mean after all, the students are the reason I got into this profession. He mentions that a routine can sometimes result in a bad thing. I personally feel a routine is good. I think a routine is the most effective way to make sure objects being done are effective as possible. I do agree you can become apathetic, and the main challenge would be not to let this happen.

Like I mentioned before, after reading this I see myself being this kind of teacher. I feel as if I might have read my own blog post from many years into the future. This does gives me hope and a better outlook for where my teaching career is going.