Life of a Teacher

The “Life of a Teacher” component of my teaching experience was the most enjoyable part of the experience thus far. Although daunting, it allowed me to fully immerse myself in a teacher’s role, which gave me valuable insight as to what the job really entails. These three days provided a realistic experience of teaching, which is vastly different from what we are taught in theory. Theoretically, teaching is portrayed in an idealistic way, but the unpredictability and flexibility of the job is not accurately accounted for. The day seldom goes according to plan, and one must have the ability to adapt to unexpected circumstances.

My first full day of teaching during block 1 turned out to be better than I had originally anticipated. I was nervous going into the experience because I was not yet familiar with the school and classroom environment. I was worried about my classroom management as the learners were still getting to know me and to respect my role as a student teacher. Throughout the day, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the learners responded to me and the lessons I taught. Time management was the area in which I struggled the most as my teaching went over time and some of the work had to be moved to the following day. After completing my first full day, my mentor teacher gave me the opportunity to teach a few more full days informally to gain more experience and a better feel for the classroom. By the time I taught my full days in block 2, my confidence had grown significantly. I had established a good relationship with the learners, which contributed to a positive and conducive learning environment.

I still find time management quite challenging as there is so much to fit in to a day, over and above the content that needs to be taught. I like to ensure that learners have a thorough understanding of a topic before moving on to another, however, this cannot always be accomplished within the limited time constraints. I also find that upon entering a new classroom, my confidence is low, and it takes a few days to get comfortable. This may also be because I am in another teachers’ classroom and not my own. However, I find that challenges like these are necessary, and have proven to contribute the most to my personal and professional development. There is always room to learn.

Upon reflection, I would rate myself higher in several areas after gaining valuable guidance and experience during my final teaching practical. Firstly, the effectiveness of my classroom management has grown significantly. I have learnt that building a relationship with learners is key to gaining their respect. One cannot enter a classroom and expect learners to cooperate without establishing a sense of trust. My mentor teacher also made mention of this in her final comments, as well as a significant growth in confidence. Secondly, there has been an improvement in my communication with learners both in general, as well as in relation to the learning content. I have had to learn how to transfer information on a level that children of this age-group can grasp. Lastly, my ability to reflect on my own practice has improved, as I have learnt how to take constructive criticism and use this to make the necessary adjustments. I have learned to be open to different perspectives and to use this to constantly improve and adapt to ever-changing circumstances.