Blog 8 what i learned

I learned so much through this course. It's been very eye opening. Teaching has so many more responsibilities than I previously thought. It takes dedicated, patient, hard working individuals to teach in an elementary school. The teacher I worked with was wonderful. She used so many successful tactics and strategies, but I could tell her job wasn't easy. Sharing attention with not only those who require a bit more but with those who don't seem to need it at all is very demanding and takes a lot of energy. The teacher never stopped talking! Even if the students had been instructed that they were to be quiet in doing their task, the teacher was talking to students one-on-one that she had pulled aside to asses. I can imagine being exhausted at the end of a successful teaching day.

I was fascinated learning about the segregation act and how that came about. It opened my eyes to how stubborn society can be to make changes. I believe society will always change and evolve and that we as citizens must be willing to accept that and incorporate it to be successful. What it reminds me of specifically is non-English speaking students. When I was young, product labels were listed primarily in English. Now most  foods, clothing, furnishings, and products with direction manuals are marked in multiple languages. This is a wonderful example of incorporating change into our society. I would love to see the school system teach multiple languages to students, making a second language mandatory.

I loved to module on the different jobs and responsibilities of a teacher. Its similar to how I often feel as a mother. I'm not just a mother, I am a house-keeper, a chef, a book-keeper, a story-teller, a groomer, etc. Teaching is the same way. The word "teacher" actually incorporates many job titles. Additionally, students are so varied and each has such different needs. The teacher must play different roles and be able to alter them for each student's need.

This was an excellent course to help me learn the profession of teaching. Honestly it has made me rethink becoming an educator. It's overwhelming and a bit intimidating working in a classroom as the person responsible for the success of others. Though I love to plan lessons and I love kids, I'm not sure I'm the right person for the demands of teaching.