I love seeing the spark in a childs eye when they have learnt something.
The feeling you get when you know that you have taught that child something, that you have made a difference.
I love the potential that each and every child has. The potential to do something great, something exceptional.
I love the imagination and creativity of a child.
I like that they try and that they do.
I like the warm feeling when they say "thanks". When I get a picture from one of them that I can stick up on the wall.
I love it when I walk past a classroom when I am volunteering at the school and the younger students will smile and wave and the older students will say "hello" and they will all ask you when you will be able to come and help in their classroom again. It's a great feeling to know that you are liked and that you are making a difference. The teachers are great too, I love hearing comments like "What will we do when you go back to uni" and "Do you have to go back to uni? Stay and be my teaching assisntant, I can pay you with chocolate". It makes me smile.
The other week I was in the 1/2 and 3/4 rooms and both were looking at skip counting in maths. In both classes there were some students that were behind.
One such student 'Tom' a grade 1 was having trouble learning his 2's. He wasn't concentrating on them and his teacher told him that he had to do his work or he would have to stay in at recess. When she called all the other students down to the floor I sat with 'Tom' and went over the work with him. Sometimes a student just needs that one on one instruction. It was great seeing him learn and being able to recognise the pattern and being able to skip count by 2s where before he was struggling. By the end I could even ask him what number came after 14 or 8 or 20 and he would be able to answer.
I got to do a similar thing for some of the grade 3s and 4s. I helped one student learn how to count by 5s one day and then the following day learn to count by 4s. Unfortunately when I was teaching the group I forgot that they were supposed to write the 4s down in their maths books! Oops!
I also got to conduct a spelling test with the grade 3s and 4s. One thing that I learnt from that experience is that I need to work on getting the students to listen and not interupt. Last year I also got to conduct a spelling test and the same thing happened, students want to ask you questions and tell stories. This all happens because when you are giving a spelling test you have to say the word and then put it in a sentence. The students all want to know if the sentence is the truth or tell a story that relates to that sentence or the word. I have to keep bringing their focus back to the task at hand, the spelling test. This time giving a spelling test I was able to complete this task better than the year previous.
There are so many positives to teaching. At the same time I am so nervous! Occasionally the teachers will mention that in 3 years I will be finished my degree "In three years this will be you" they say. I know that teaching is what I want to do with my life but at the same time I can not help thinking "Will I be good at this?", "Will I be able to plan lessons for a whole year and then have the students learn and comprehend what I have taught them?", "Will they listen to me?". I comfort myself by thinking "You are not alone, others feel exactly the same way as you do", "You will not be a fantastic teacher right away, it will take time and experience" I am still nervous though!
a teacher? If you are a teacher what was your first year of teaching
like?