Blog Post 9

What I've Learned This Year by Mr. McClung


What a great person. A lot has to be said for someone who is able to learn so much, so early in their life. As I read this post, I felt as if I was reading a teacher's blog that had been teaching for 30 years and was retiring. Yet, this is a first year teacher. I believe his school is very lucky to have someone like him and I hope I am as self-examining and inspirational as him one day.

In this post, he talks about his experiences in his first year of teaching and what he has learned in the process. He learned that teaching isn't about you, it's about the students. You have to learn how to read the crowd. You have to be flexible. Don't beat yourself up when the lesson plan doesn't go exactly as you thought it would. He also touches on the importance of communication. Where ever you go, there are going to be misunderstandings. It is always important to talk about your issues so that you can work through them. He also talks about the importance of being reasonable. You can't set to high of expectations on your students because if they are unable to achieve them, they will feel as if they have failed. You must always lift up and encourage your students. He also realizes the importance of technology. We shouldn't be afraid of it. It is just a tool to help further education. Also, listen to your students. He realizes the important role he plays and builds a sense of community, family, and trust. Lastly, he recognizes that we should never stop learning. Life is a journey and learning should taking place every step along the way.

This post made me inspired. Maybe it's possible not to spend your whole career trying to figure it out. Maybe we can all start out good and just get better and better. I hope that I can be open to learn and take it all in, just as Mr. McClung did.