Blog Post 9

What I’ve Learned This Year (2008-2009)
I really loved what Mr. McClung had to say in the first What I Learned post. I chose it specifically because it was his first year of teaching and wanted to see how he made it through. Mr. McClung said that we must be flexible and even without being a teacher I have already learned that lesson time and time again. It is one people must use even in their daily lives, because nothing ever goes to according to plan. There is always that one bump that can set off a chain of events a mile long. I loved how he said that we must listen to our students, because their education isn’t about us, it is about them. You need to understand them in order to properly teach them and know they will learn. Lastly, I had to laugh at his comment that we should be afraid of technology like it’s “a bad horror film and computer are trying to take over the world.” He’s right, because that is about how afraid teachers are of technology, when they should really just embrace it.

What I’ve Learned This Year (2010-2011)
“Don’t expect other to be as excited about change as you are.” This is a powerful statement and this was my favorite section. Mr. McClung basically said not to the teachers who were once full of fire and have now joined the darkside get you down. Even if you are the only one excited about trying out a new approach, do not worry. There are those teachers who will say that something will not work, even with evidence pointed right in their faces. Just because they believe the idea to be a foolish one, hang onto your own excitement and passion for things. This also led into his discussion about being an outsider. Basically Mr. McClung said that instead of trying to impress your colleagues and fit in with them, be an outsider and be with your students. You are there to teach them, so why should you care about not fitting in with the rest of the teachers? Lastly, I loved what Mr. McClung said about touching the keyboard. The job I currently hold, I help train new employees and that is the one I am told to never do, is touch the keyboard. Instead of jumping to their rescue, let them problem solve and get to the solution themselves. In the end, students gain more and will remember how they got to that solution.