MR. LEE DIV. 5

I wish I'd taken notes, but sitting and listening to a debriefing with my student teacher after being observed by my principal was insightful. I'm going to try to recall important points that stuck out. 

• A relationship, a connection, a sense of interest and caring is crucial and probably the most important element to teaching; this means sitting, listening, talking, getting down to their level and getting to know them, not just watching and seeing if they're on-task or not; get to know the names of your students and their interests quickly
• Be assertive and ask for things; the answer may be "no" but then again...
• Don't be afraid to ask for help: everybody needs help sometimes...even teachers! Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness or failure (usually), but a sense of knowing when someone else is a better resource or support or expert. It might even be your students (often).
•  Always have a purpose for a lesson: ask why the students are doing a particular task; never have them do something without a good reason
• Ask yourself, how can I get the students engaged more in the activity/task/lesson? How can the lesson be more relevant? How can it "come to life"? How can it have a lasting effect, so when they go home to their parents, they shout out, "Mom, dad, I have something to show you!"
• Learn from your mistakes. Reflecting and then improving on a few specific ones will improve your practice. Nobody's perfect, especially when you're starting out in the profession. Even after years of teaching, you'll still make mistakes, especially if you're incorporating new elements into your teaching practice.
• Make sure the class is running the way you want it: this doesn't mean you're the dictator, but you do need to know when and how to get students' attention, keep it, and maintain "law and order"; students should be clear about expectations and consequences 
• Have fun! If you're not having fun and enjoying your time, then there's probably something wrong. Of course, a student teacher has a lot on her mind, but remember: if you're having fun and enjoying yourself, the students will sense that vibe as well. 

As much as my role as a school associate (SA) is to help model, train and evaluate my student teacher, I find that I'm actually being spurred, pushed and prodded into examining my own teaching practice because, in some ways, I am being observed as the role model. In light of that, I need to make certain that I practice what I preach; otherwise, all the seemingly wise and eloquent advice will fall on deaf ears. Also, is what I'm doing in class actually effective, or does it need fine-tuning, minor adjustments or possibly scrapping to the junkyard? Constant dialogue between myself and my student teacher should help uncover and unravel some of the wonders and mysteries of this amazing profession known as teaching. 

I'll be having a student teacher for the first time in my career and I'm looking forward to it. I think it will be a beneficial experience for all parties involved: myself, the student teacher and, of course, my students. I'll keep you up-to-date with as much shareable information as possible.