Growth

Before this semester, I feel like my mind went back and forth between two mindsets when I thought about me actually being  a real-life teacher: 1) how hard can it be? Its teaching! and 2) overwhelmed. Where to start? I think this class has started to bridge that gap and teaching is starting to feel tangible, manageable, REAL.

Especially in regards to the learning theories (which I really have enjoyed learning about because they relate a lot to my psych class from my freshman year that I loved) it touches on the importance of intention. All teaching should be intentional. Every aspect of a lesson plan should be intentional. I feel like as naive future teachers, we thought how can I teach in a way that is fun and informational? where now we think, how can students LEARN? How can students develop their thoughts and ideas? I have also liked how we have been able to apply theories to our specific concentration. Its important to start thinking of teaching in regards to your subject, and how to edit/customize ideas for yourself. You cannot just assume that one method of teaching or one lesson plan can work for anything.

It is also neat that I can see the ties between my education classes, from the theorists in my ED 106 class to the theories in my ED 107 class, and the technology taught in my 109 class applied in my 107 class. Its all related and feels useful. Blogging has also helped me be more thoughtful and reflective on my learning. I think I do this anyways (since me and Joe reflect on the class pretty much every day on the walk back to campus) but writing it down makes it more permanent and something I can measure progress with. I will say, that learning in ED 107 is exhausting. I get a lot out of participating, it is the way I learn, and I do feel mentally challenged in the class- but if you have a headache coming into that class, it will probably get worse with each "consider this" or "what do you mean by that?"  : )  I can definitely say that I am starting to understand the perspective of a teacher (rather than a student) now more than I ever have.