Stress Management

I was not ready for student teaching when I started from the perspective of time commitments and knowledge of the environment. I was teaching at my Alma mater, but the last time I was there in 1993, there were no computers or cell phones and the days were different – the routines and the students. Though I did well enough and was improving, I had to drop back to observing in the classroom until I was ready for the time commitment and had more experience. I worked as a substitute teacher and took more classes for a year before finishing the capstone clinical and teacher certification requirements.

Speaking Louder

I work to overcome the tendency to speak quickly and softly. I found that when I feel like I’m yelling, people still didn’t hear me. The need to project my voice was one of the most frequent comments I heard while teaching in Union City. It was also what I got praised for improving. I find that many days when I’m not teaching I am able to be mindful and work on slowing down so I can listen and speak with calmness focusing only on the conversation. Working as a student teacher, I’ve improved my ability to project my voice and interact with students both listening to them and being heard by them in the front of the room and in the back.

Organization is Essential

There is so much to keep track of. Meeting times, due dates, dates off, test dates etc.. papers to hand out, correct, collect, grade, prepare to hand out etc…Where this class ended, what needs gone over more, who needs to make up an exam, where I put my pencil and pen, when assignments were handed in late, when to schedule the make up exam, the paper with my notes. Those examples didn’t all happen at once, but I learned the importance of organizers, plans, labeled folders, and routines for making sure all the small but important details are effectively organized and managed for less stress, less mess, and more enjoyment in the day.

Practice and Try Everything First

It’s not that I hadn’t learned that lesson before, but I thought I was doing well with the project or the lesson and then…… the lesson didn’t go well. I learned I need to complete all/most activities on my own and make an example of activities before presenting it to the students. I also need to speak through the lesson plans and any lab activities before doing them with the students. It is much easier to help them and the day is more enjoyable when the lesson is presented smoothly and the activity is explained without mistakes.