Reflections of a First Year Teacher

 

I am thrilled to be in my first year teaching 4th grade! I previously worked as a P.E. teacher's aide at our school for 4 years and decided I wanted to work more one on one with children and help make a positive impact on their academic lives. Initially, I thought I'd love to teach Kindergarten or first grade because those sweet little ones say the cutest things and are just so innocent. When I was offered a 4th grade position, primarily teaching Math and Science, I was a little intimidated to be honest. I thought I wouldn't be able to actually remember let alone teach 4th grade Math. What if they asked me a question I had no clue how to answer? What I discovered is that I had to let go of MY insecurities and focus on what inspired me to teach in the first place; the children themselves.

As a beginning teacher, I strive to create a positive, upbeat learning atmosphere which centers on encouragement, fun, and a cooperative team spirit. Every morning, I greet my students with a warm, firm hand shake, a friendly smile and a compliment. This not only models professional norms, but it is a way I connect personally with each of my students and show them I genuinely care about them. I also enjoy introducing each lesson with a “hook” to ignite the fire of learning with a new concept. It might be a mystery box full of objects that relate to each other in some fashion, an upbeat song to introduce our topic, an interactive game, or a dance motion to spark interest. For instance, when teaching my students the difference between a numerator and denominator during a math lesson earlier in the year, I jumped up onto the top of a desk and showed them that I was a nerd (numerator) on top of the desk (denominator). Not one student has ever forgotten that a numerator is the top portion of a fraction and the denominator is the bottom. Here is another great Math attention grabber for fractions that the kids love.

 

To me, it is critical as an educator to be a positive role model by demonstrating integrity, genuine love, and respect for all students. One of my favorite quotes displayed in my room is a reminder of just that. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” This belief is the foundational cornerstone of all that drives me to strengthen and improve the teaching profession. I care deeply about children and build positive, meaningful relationships with each one in order to inspire them to greater levels of achievement than they thought possible. The great educator, Marva Collins, sums this up well. “The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious; to have one idea spark another. ”  If I am able to have that kind of impact on the life of a child, then I am deeply honored.
                   As I reflect on my first year of teaching, I can truly say my greatest personal reward is seeing students realize their fullest potential with passion and perseverance.  I absolutely love the uniqueness of every student and the challenge that comes with building each individual up to achieve academic victories.  What a privilege and honor it is to be called a teacher!