Becomming_a_Teacher

"My problems all started with my early education. I went to a school for mentally disturbed teachers." Woody Allen A witty take on education, nonetheless the above quote emphasises the importance a teacher has in the life of a student. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I had ‘mentally disturbed’ teachers, however the effect that these educators had on my education has resonated with me to this day. Background and Educational Experience My education started in Clonigulane National School, in the small West Clare village of Kilmihil. The school itself was extremely old, having celebrated its 150th Anniversary while I was still an ‘apple in God’s eye’. Class sizes in the school never reached above six or seven and only looking back now, can I fully appreciate the value of a small, close knit school. The two teacher school felt more like a second home than an educational institution. Obviously we didn’t have the same resources available to young children now, but when I think back to my time there, the memories are pleasant ones. Surprisingly one of the very first people to have an influence on my life (and to this day still has) was Mrs. Kitty Collins. She was the Infants to Second class teacher during my initial years at Clonigulane. As a teacher she was very caring, nurturing and was very much a mother figure to all us young children. Besides her extremely enthusiastic attitude to teaching she instilled in me a love of music that has never left me. She told me once that she recognised that I had a very ‘musical ear’ and started to teach me the basics of the Button Accordion, an instrument that I have since gone on to win All Ireland titles in. My parents could not afford an instrument at the time and as Kitty had an accordion at home, she gave it to me. I will never forget the interest that she took in furthering my education, nor will I forget that she took an avid interest in every individual student, extolling our various talents in any way she could. Looking back, I think that I put my heart and soul into music because she believed I had the ‘X Factor’ so to speak. The encouragement that she showed me remains with me to this day. Kitty’s attention and passion to education definitely resonated in me as a person and a future educator. I hope that I will be able to offer the same level of energy and interest to my students. From Clonigulane, I commenced post primary education in St. Michaels Community College, Kilmihil. Initially the experience was a complete culture shock; it took some adjusting to get into the day-to-day life of a Secondary School. St. Michaels is a relatively small school with an average student count of just over three hundred students. It is only since having completed my observation of another secondary school, the Vocational school in Athenry, that I realise how significant school size can be to the particular education of an individual student. I can honestly say that I am thankful I attended a small school. It was like moving from a small family to a bigger family community. Students in St. Michaels all knew one another, participated on the same football and basketball teams and on Parish teams, so there was always a good community spirit. It was during my time in St. Michaels that I met a teacher that inspired my love of English. Niall Williams was a teacher that every student respected and admired. His teaching was fun, energetic and interesting; there was never a dull moment. Mr. Williams’s classes were more of a lecture format as he dictated notes through most of the class. It doesn’t seem like the most interesting way of teaching but he managed to keep us at the edge of our seats. He is a man that is extremely passionate about his subject and it shone through in his teaching. However not all classes were conducted in this way, for some classes we acted out parts of the texts we were studying, wrote plays, debated, etc. When I think about the type of teacher I’d like to aspire to, Mr. Williams is an educator that went far beyond the call of duty. I’d like to think that someday I could receive the same amount of respect that he commanded. There were never any disciplinary problems in his classes because he made them so enjoyable, in my opinion, that is what makes a good teacher; someone that can balance facilitative content learning with active learning methodologies. This is something I will definitely strive to do on Teaching Placement. Another teacher that I met during my Leaving Certificate was Mr. Diarmuid O’ Donovain. Similar to Mr. Williams, he was a teacher that was very passionate about his subjects, History and Religion. He was much younger than Mr Williams, and so it took him a bit longer to gain our trust. Thinking back on it now, he approached teaching in a very interesting way. Unlike other teachers he left the responsibility of our learning, to us. We would shape the path that we wanted to take, and from a personal note, I appreciated being given that much responsibility and also being treated like an adult. I think there is a lot to be said in trusting one’s students. I understand that this is not the case for every class, I was lucky that I was in a high achieving class that wished to pursue a path to college. Out of the various teachers that I’ve met during my time in education, only these three have ever stood out. These educators took an avid interest in their students and that’s what made all the difference. It’s so easy to spot a teacher that has become disillusioned with their position. I think when that happens, student’s loose out. Learning and Teaching Philosophy I believe as a teacher, for the most part, I am a facilitator to learning. However upon looking back to how teachers have influenced me, I understand that a teacher by nature is so much more. I am a role model, an enthusiast, an actor, a performer, a guide, all of these things encompassed into one. I would like to think that I could bring all of these factors with me in my day to day teaching. As a teacher, first and foremost, I have to create an atmosphere where students feel safe and where they know I can be trusted to have their best interests at heart. I believe that a relationship of trust and respect has to go both ways between the student and the teacher, otherwise how could any real learning occur in the class' How could students believe that what I am trying to get across to them is of any significance' I am motivated to grow and expand my level of knowledge of my subjects primarily for my students as I believe they deserve the best that I can give them. I believe that students should come away from a class not only having the information I have imparted on them but also a set of values that they can take with them through to the rest of their education. Teaching and learning in my opinion means coaching students, leading them to a better understanding of their subject. As I mentioned earlier, it is extremely important that students come away with a developed perspective on what is covered in class. The connection my beliefs have with day to day teaching and learning is directly connected to way my class room will work and flow. I would like to think that during a class my students will be active participants and I will do my very best to assist this. I would like the students to be co-discovers and peer teachers in the class, whilst I would be taking the role of their mentor. Learning goals on the PGDE During the course of the PGDE I would like to address a number of areas that I personally think will aid in my teaching methods. Firstly, I would like to become more proficient in computer skills. My own approach to teaching would be more black/white board based, but I do understand that we live in a mobile age. Upon entering the PGDE I had no real background in computer skills, with the help of Educational Technology classes should help in improving my knowledge. Students should be deserving of all the aspects of technology that are available now. I would like to integrate this aspect into my classes by giving them handouts, using Power Point presentations, interactive whiteboards etc. These extra resources in the classroom will only help to reinforce learning in a more interactive way. Secondly I know that my students deserve the very best from me as a teacher, so I hope to become very familiar with the syllabus and curriculum texts that are prevalent to my subjects (English and C.S.P.E). I feel that by having a more coherent understanding of the whole curriculum I can offer my students the very best schooling. I understand that the latter comes with much teaching experience. However by the end of the second term of Teaching Placement, I hope to have gained a strong foundation to set me along my teaching career. Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, I have no previous class room experience. Except for Microteaching I have no real idea how to manage and time keep a class. I think that Teaching Placement will help with ironing out any difficulties that may arise. Lesson planning will help me to have a general idea of how time will and should be managed. However I understand that different situations can arise. I hope that the experiences I incur at Teaching Practice will lend to giving me a better understanding before setting out on my secong Teaching Placement. At the end of the day all I can do is learn and grow, the same wish I have for my own students. I believe that all of the above goals are attainable, and at the very least are what my students deserve and I as a teacher will do my very best to strive for these.