Blog Post 9

Joe McClung: What I've Learned This Year (2008-2009)

Joe McClung chronicles the lessons he has learned during his first year of teaching in Noel, Missouri. His post shows how he has grown as a person and an educator. Mr. McClung explains the significance of keeping lessons focused on the students. I agree that it is incredibly important not to forget that the goal is to teach the students in a way that they will be able to understand. Sometimes teachers can get so wrapped up in their lessons and how they want to teach something, that they do not stop and think of if the students will be able to follow a lesson plan. In high school I had a science teacher who would get so caught up in how she wanted to teach things that she would never stop and ask if the students understood her way of teaching. She expected the students to conform or change their learning styles to fit with her teaching styles, which is a bit unrealistic. I think that her class would run a lot smoother if she would give her students the opportunity to voice their opinions. It was almost as if she stifled the potential growth of her students by being unwilling to adapt to her student’s learning styles.

Another thing that Mr. McClung talks about in his post is the importance of educators listening to their students. Again, I can link this back to my science teacher in high school. She never asked for our opinions during her class. The students did not feel that they had much of a voice or any say in how the class would run. At the end of the year we had to fill out teacher evaluations, and our teacher was shocked when she saw that most of the students checked that they felt like the teacher did not care about their opinions. I think it is vital for teachers to let the students know that what they say matters and that their voices and opinions are important to the teacher. I am shocked when teachers do not listen to their students. Can the teachers not tell how important it is to actually listen to what the students have to say? Students can tell if you do not listen to them. They want to be able to trust their teachers, and if the teacher is not willing to listen to their students, how can the teacher expect to be trusted? Listening is also essential for building effective communication. If a teacher wants to be trusted and communicate effectively with their students, they need to listen.

Joe McClung also talks about the significance of being reasonable and flexible as a teacher. Teachers can plan and plan until the sun goes down, but they should remember that things do not always go as expected no matter the amount of planning that has been put into an activity. Life can always throw little obstacles or curve balls our way, and it is important for a teacher to be able to adapt to things that they did not expect to occur. Adaptability is key when you are a teacher. If a teacher is too rigid, they will not be able to adapt when lessons do not go according to plan. Mr. McClung also states that teachers should not to be afraid of technology. He also claims that teachers should never stop learning. I feel like these two things go hand in hand. In EDM310 we have learned just how important it is to utilize technology in the classroom. Technology is constantly evolving, and in order to use the tools technology has to offer, teachers must be willing to commit to being a lifelong learner. I want to be the best teacher possible, so I will not allow myself to become complacent when it comes to learning. I do not want to stifle the growth of my students. I will continue my learning so I can give my future students the best education I can possible give them. I hope that other teachers will openly embrace the idea of being a lifelong learner, if not to better themselves, than to better their students.

Joe McClung: What I've Learned This Year (2010-2011)

This post covers Joe McClung’s third year as a teacher. He is still learning and experiencing change. Joe McClung describes himself as an optimist and someone who is excited to learn new things. In his post, he talks about professional development (PD) sessions that he likes to attend. He has noticed a rise of people who attend the PD sessions that only have negative things to say. He comments that these pessimists are not able to find anything good to say when new ideas are mentioned. He mentions that you should not let others ruin your excitement. Not everyone can share the same enthusiasm for learning and change that you may feel. There are always going to be “Negative Nancys” and “Debbie Downers” who try to dim your joy. As McClung mentions, you must not let someone’s negativity influence your decisions. Teachers should still embrace change and constant learning, even if others may frown upon innovation. The teachers who push the envelope are usually the ones who make the greatest impact on their student’s lives.

Mr. McClung also reveals the importance of being true to who you are as a teacher. Teachers may feel pressured to act a certain way because they have a lot of people to please. He says that one should not focus too hard on trying to please every single adult that they meet. Mr. McClung mentions that it is important not to forget about the students that you are trying to teach. The students are most likely the reason that you became a teacher in the first place. Your goal is to teach and provide your students with a meaningful education. How can you focus on that goal if you are too focused on pleasing every adult that you encounter? I have to strongly agree with this point. I do believe that it is essential to condone yourself in a professional and respectable manner, because teachers are often role models for their students. However, I do also believe that if teachers focus too much on pleasing every adult that they meet, they will not have the time or energy to devote to their students.

Joe then mentions the fear he has of becoming comfortable as a teacher. If a teacher becomes too comfortable, they might become complacent. Joe McClung has received practice as a teacher, seeing as this is his third year as an educator. He is learning tricks to use while teaching that make his job easier. One thing that he notices is that even though he is getting more comfortable with teaching, he should not let his comfort stop him from moving forward. It is dangerous for a teacher to become disinterested. A teacher should push their students to provide their best work, and I think it is equally important for a teacher to remember that they must also continue to push themselves. This is imperative for a teacher to remember. It might be easier to fall into a routine, but having something become easier is not necessarily a good thing. If you become too set in routine, you will not try new things. I do not want to be a teacher who gets set in their ways. I want to make sure that I try new things in my classroom. Another important point that Mr. McClung covers is that a teacher needs to let a student complete their tasks. When we see someone struggle, it is almost a natural reaction to go over to that person and complete their work for them. How can we expect someone to be an independent learner if we take over completing their task? Mr. McClung says that we should not touch the keyboard if we are trying to teach the student how to do something. A student needs to complete their task by their own individual actions. A student can still rely on a teacher to provide help by acting as a guide for the assignment, but the student needs to complete everything on their own. We want students to be able to rely on themselves without becoming 100% reliant on someone else to complete their work.