A Teacher's Reputation

  When I got my class schedule for my junior year of high school, I scanned the list of names. Different thoughts ran across my mind as I read each name, "This teacher is really strict" or "Oh, this will be an easy class, the teacher is cool." I was already judging how the teachers would be and how I would act in their class based off of their reputation. 

  On the first day of school, I could tell some of the teachers with a "chill" reputation tried to be a little more strict. They would tell their class that they're "going to really enforce the rules this year," but there were still students whispering that she wouldn't be able to last the first six weeks. Eventually by the end of the first semester, most rules were thrown out the window, and the teacher's reputation stood.

   A teachers reputation will recede them throughout their teaching career. If students hear that you didn't enforce the rules or actually do any work in the class, then they won't follow any rules or do any work that you give. Students won't give you any respect if your reputation is bad.

  As a future teacher, I plan on maintaining and protecting my reputation by being the teacher I wish I had at that age. I want to be the teacher that is seen as fun and loving, but not a leader of a blow off class. I want to be the teacher that cares about the student's education and works to their fullest potential, but not the teacher that overwhelms students with work. Hopefully, I will be able to find a medium between the two and create a good reputation for my teaching career.

5 Resourceful Teaching Blogs!

This is a list of blogs that I found that look extremely useful and educational. I look forward to using these and many more throughout the year to help me this year on my new adventure!

1. Middle School Math Rules!
  This blog is ran by a 7th grade math teacher, who you can tell obviously loves her job! She has many resources posted and different activities that you can pull from. Not only does she post just her products, worksheets, and activities, but she also posts about classroom management, student engagement, and building relationships. This is a blog I can see my self going to all the time!

2. The Classy Teacher
   Ran by an elementary school teacher, this blog posts classroom management ideas, technology uses, and ideas on math and science assignments and activities. She also post things to help keep teachers organized, such as cute labels for folders, drawers, and calendars. I will use this blog, especially when it comes time to get organized.

3. Fast Times of a Middle School Math Teacher
  In this blog, ran by a middle school math teacher, there are many fun activities and lesson plan ideas to be taken from! The author posts stories and pictures of the activities done in class, and from the looks of it, it looks super fun! You can clearly tell that this teacher has a creative side that makes you feel inspired to do something more than just taking notes every day in class. I am excited to take one of these ideas and put my own twist to it for one of my own lessons!

4. Lessons From the Middle
  This blog is written by a middle school teacher who is very insightful. Her posts make you think and wonder about certain topics such as teacher inquiry. It is a blog that will help form you and discover who you are as a teacher. It will form thoughts about the education system and how you will fulfill you're role as a teacher.

5. Little Miss Middle School 
   This blog, ran by a middle school teacher, posts lesson ideas and interactive activities in math, science, literacy, and character education. Most of her ideas are based around holidays. So when time gets closer to specific holidays, this is a blog you will want to check out! She also posts cute things that teachers would like, such as t-shirt ideas. 

This Week at Sites...

   At sites, I am able to assist students with their class work and answer any questions they might have about their work.  I've noticed that most of the kids have the same exact difficulties in a certain area, such as rounding, mentally adding and subtracting, etc. These kinds of actions should be easily done for 7th graders even though they will have a few mistakes in mental math, it is natural. 7th graders should not still be counting on their fingers when adding 8 plus 7, it should for the most part come as second nature. 7th graders should know how to round, when you are having to take a day to teach about rounding to students, it will set them back from where they need to be in the material. All of their main difficulties are things that should have been mastered in the 4th-6th grade.

I remember being in the 5th grade and completing minute worksheets that had about 20 questions. These questions could be anything; addition, subtraction, multiplication, or even a mixture of all of them. These little tests helped me memorize simple problem, and it has helped me in the long run. Whenever I'm working out a long complicated problem, it's easier for me because I'm able to do quick operations because I have things memorized. In my future classroom, I will have these minute tests to help keep up the usage of these skills.

It is crucial in math to keep building on your skills. You can't teach something once or twice, test over it, and then move on. Bring the topic into the next topic you teach. For example, if the kids learned about rounding in one chapter, use rounding in problems in future topics and units to maintain and nurture that skill of rounding.

I'm taking in everything I notice at sites like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge and skills I can to use in my future class room.

Top Ten Things I Wish I Knew My First Year of Teaching

The first year being in any teaching position is always hard, and looking back there are always things you wish you would've known before you started. After reading Love, Teach Blog, I decided to write my own list. This is my top ten list of things that I wish I had known! (Note: They are not in any specific order!)

1. Be nice, but firm.
Don't try to be buddies with the students and try to get them to listen to you at the same time. These two do not work together. I had to learn the perfection combination of kindness and firmness, in fact I am still trying to master it. It is so important to learn, it not only will help you in your classroom, but this structure will nurture the student's learning.

2. It's all okay!
If a lesson plan or your plans for the day don't go the way you expected to, it is okay! If the kids want to do a station a different way than set up, but they're still getting the concept, it's okay! If you have to take more time to go over something, it is okay! As long as students understand what you are teaching, then it will all be okay! Just breathe!

3. Know how to fix paper jams.
Knowing how to fix a paper jam has helped me tremendously! When you are in a rush and have to make a stack of copies in only a certain time, a paper jam is coming your way. It just seems to always happen that way. Knowing how to fix a paper jam in a quick amount of time helps! Other teachers will love when you are in the work room, but with great power comes great responsibility. If all the teachers know that you are amazing with the copy machine, they will always want you to help them! Be careful on who knows your secret power!

4. Don't be scared to ask for help!
If you are head over heels in work and are lost on what to do, don't be scared to ask for help! Don't be to proud to show your weaknesses. Asking for help may give you a new perspective or another teacher may have a better way to do something or do something you would have never thought of. Even if you don't need help, it will take you the extra mile just to get extra help.

5. Listen to criticism.
Asking other teachers for help could include asking them to point out things you are doing wrong or what you could do better. Listen to what they have to say! Everything that they tell you is valuable to your teaching career.

6. Don't take everything to heart. 
Some criticism can be very useful and constructive, other times other's words can be harsh and hurtful. Don't take it to heart! Learn how you can use it to make you better. Take the advice and make sure you do whatever it is to not make them not say it again. Use everything people say to your advantage in making you the best teacher you can be.

7. Perfection comes by time.
No one is perfect at anything they do the first time unless they're not human. You are going to make mistakes. I can't count the times I thought, "Well that was awful." I had to learn that perfection comes over time and that perfection may not even be reachable, but I can sure try to reach it. I learned to think, "There's only room for improvement."

8. Take the time to say, "Good Morning!" to everyone.
Don't be the person that nobody wants to see in the morning. Bring the sunshine into the school. Say good morning and smile to everyone. It will start everyone's day on a better note.

9. Find the quiet in the chaos.
There will always be moments of chaos in the classroom, learn to find the peaceful moments and savor them.

And finally,

10. Laugh!
Make your year and your student's year memorable. Laugh in the fun times. Laugh through all the mistakes. No matter if you think so or not, the end of the school year is approaching and it's coming quickly. Be able to laugh with your students and your colleagues. It will make the year more fun for all.