When people used to ask me ten years
ago: “What did you want to be when you grow up?” I used to answer by anything
but becoming a teacher. I was taught the traditional way where the teacher
would do the talking and I had to take notes. Then I was supposed to go back
home and rote everything I learned so that I could pass whatever exam I had to
sit for. When someone asks me now what is the one thing you would never stop
doing in your life, I would answer by teaching and working within the Education
sector to help changing the old techniques at schools and help up my community.
I have been teaching for the last two and a half years of my life.
This experience shaped my personality in a way that no educational institute
was able to do. Through my teaching, I am able to grow as a person as my
students get to help me learn through their simple moves and words. This
profession is a rewarding type of profession. I get to guide my students into
unmasking their goals in life and help them achieve it each one uniquely. I
believe that “Every kid deserves an education to reach his/her goals no matter
what environmental conditions he/she is subjected to”. Science is a subject
that is treated in a way where students get to memorize rather than analyze. My
goal is to help student critically think by questioning their way of thinking
and destabilize their constant thinking.
The way I used to plan my lessons two years ago is absolutely
different than what I am working on now. I learned simple techniques through my
Teaching Diploma and through the Teaching Methodology course. This course
helped me plan my lessons more into directing the critical thinking type of
lessons. I have always wanted to teach my students how to critically think, but
the way to do it wasn’t always clear. Although I learned before about Bloom’s
Taxonomy, I was able to actually apply it within the lessons I was asked to
plan for the course. When I plan my lessons now, I make sure to include both
direct and indirect instructions. Not all children can cope with indirect
instructions as we use the higher order of Bloom’s taxonomy. But, all children
could actually get to the highest order of “creating” with more practice. To
include all these different methodologies, I chose the 5-E lesson plan
template. I like the way it targets different types of students and different
instructional methodologies. I like to plan it in a way where children reach
their own conclusion within the lesson itself. With the two microteaching
lessons I planned, I made sure to plan them for Lebanese classrooms. I kept in
mind my students I taught last year in Bakhoun (underprivileged school) and I
realized that I could have easily used such a lesson in that class.
I loved the discussions we used to make in class. I enjoyed sharing
different experiences from different teachers already working or from Education
students with great ideas. Some of my classmates motivated me to work harder.
At some points during this course, I felt like I was giving my best and that
this is how things should be working. Then, I would see others giving work
which is way better than mine and that is where I felt that what I was doing
wasn’t the best. At the same time, I was able to reflect on my own way of
teaching at my school.
The best part of the course was the final paper I worked on. My
professor offered me the topic of Reggio Emilia. I am known to be an anti-Art
kind of persons. I am always scared to try that part of techniques in my
classes. I am not confident with my creativity and I have never explored that
part of me before. I learned that I could engage my students by integrating art
and science together in the classroom. Although the whole philosophy cannot be
applied in the Lebanese classrooms within the night, I insisted on trying to
add artistic aspects to my lessons. We were encouraged by our professor to try
something new in our recorded micro-teaching. I was really scared to try this
new technique of having children (my classmates) different artistic ways to
evaluate them. I was really proud to see that it worked really well. I thought
that Art and creativity is part of my weaknesses. This is why I decided to
challenge myself. In that part of my work, I still need to do more researches
to widen up my creativity bank. Also, by observing other teacher’s classes, I
could grasp some ideas and then use them in my classrooms. Taking some of the
basic ideas and then change them into what works in my classes is exactly what
I need to improve that aspect of my teaching.
My strength is basically my self confidence in my class. Even if I
am not sure sometimes about a particular aspects in my lesson plan, I don’t
show so. That was actually shown in both of my micro-teaching. When I had to
explain the lesson, I was confident, my tone was great, I moved by a pace by
which the students would understand, and I didn’t sound boring. I planned this
part of the lessons in a way where it doesn’t take me more than 10 minutes in
the class.
I believe I have the character to be a teacher and I have the
knowledge to deliver the material I am asked to deliver. This self confidence
sometimes does affect me negatively though. It takes me a lot to change my perspective
about a certain idea when I am confident. I don’t think this self confidence
affect the way I accept criticism though. I learned through my years of
teaching to take the criticism in a positive way by which it helps me grow.
One of my weaknesses is when I give instructions. That was seen in
my non-recorded microteaching. My problem is that I am cursed with the “curse
of knowledge”. That is thinking that the people I am teaching already are
understanding what I am telling them because for me it is just “too easy”. I
sometimes forget that it is too easy because I practiced it for many years
before. Therefore, when I give instructions, I directly take into consideration
that my students “will know what I mean”. I didn’t figure this out until my
professor actually told me that. What I am doing now is that everytime I give instructions;
I try to give them as clear as possible. I still need some time mastering it
though until it becomes in within me. All I have to do is be aware with my
mistakes as I am giving instructions.
As I mentioned before, my philosophy states that no child should be
left behind without being educated. Therefore, I plan to keep on researching
and finding ways to help these children within my community. I believe the more
researches I look for, the better my ideas about education are, the better I
could help implement whatever I am learning to help them. I am looking to
continue my post-graduate studies later on because Education is my passion, and
I believe that working with your passion is the definition of actual success.
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