ENGAGE: View the Video - Questions Asked of Teachers - What Does it Really Mean to Be a Teacher?
There were several questions asked of the teachers in this video, including:
1. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
A recurring theme from both the novice and veteran teachers interviewed in this video is that they truly enjoy working with their students. Even though we as teachers are at the head of the classroom, the students are really the main focus, and the teacher must enjoy helping all students succeed, no matter the difficulty they might encounter while doing so.
The teachers interviewed also expressed how they like that each day is different, because each student is different and brings something new and unique to the table. If every new day is truly viewed as a new opportunity for discovering and learning, I believe that I will never become bored with my career. The teachers also mentioned that they are always challenged and kept engaged, making it impossible to become complacent. Just as the students have much to learn from me, I too have much to learn about them such as their interests, strengths, and weaknesses, which will allow me to tailor my instruction to fit their needs.
2. When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
I've known for a long time that I get great satisfaction from helping others and seeing them succeed, so a career in education was a natural choice for me. To me, there is nothing more satisfying then leading students to their own discoveries and having that "a-ha" moment. However, some people view the teaching profession as a career to "fall back on" if their original plans don't work out, and these people who do become teachers are often the ones who do not enjoy their job. The students can pickup on this, and find it difficult to get excited about learning new information when their instructor isn't excited about teaching it.
3. How did you decide what grade you wanted to teach?
I have always had a passion for science due to its potential for endless discovery and insights it provides. When you feel passionate about your content, you almost feel inclined to share that passion with other people, and education is the perfect avenue to do so. Although lab work is great and certainly has its place, it pales in comparison to the engaging interactions and discussions that can be had with real individuals in a classroom.
4. What challenges do you face in the classroom?
One of the recurring challenges discussed by the teachers was that their classrooms are very diverse in terms of the different levels of knowledge their students are at. It is therefore our job as teachers to make sure that all students are able to be caught up, despite their different educational backgrounds or how much time or effort it takes to do so.
Another challenge expressed by one of the more novice teachers is that he was very close in age to the students he was teaching. This is definitely a problem that I foresee when I begin student teaching next fall, but I hope to establish my authority not by commanding it, but by earning it with my deep knowledge in my content area and my level of care in the classroom.
5. What has surprised you about teaching?
I completely agree that it is very surprising how much time and effort goes into teaching. As a student, you rarely think about the preparation that goes into preparing lessons, either because great teachers make it look so easy or because bad teachers could not have put any amount of time or effort into their lessons. I am hoping that my students will appreciate the effort they see me putting into the class and hopefully be inspired to put in more effort in return.
6. What advice could you give to students that want to be teachers?
I found this question to be very useful to me considering that I am not a teacher yet. Sometimes it is easy to forget how much dedication and patience teaching requires, and this is something very important to take into account before considering a career in education. After spending time in education classes and obtaining countless observation hours, I am sure that I want the students to be such a big part of my life.
1. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
A recurring theme from both the novice and veteran teachers interviewed in this video is that they truly enjoy working with their students. Even though we as teachers are at the head of the classroom, the students are really the main focus, and the teacher must enjoy helping all students succeed, no matter the difficulty they might encounter while doing so.
The teachers interviewed also expressed how they like that each day is different, because each student is different and brings something new and unique to the table. If every new day is truly viewed as a new opportunity for discovering and learning, I believe that I will never become bored with my career. The teachers also mentioned that they are always challenged and kept engaged, making it impossible to become complacent. Just as the students have much to learn from me, I too have much to learn about them such as their interests, strengths, and weaknesses, which will allow me to tailor my instruction to fit their needs.
2. When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
I've known for a long time that I get great satisfaction from helping others and seeing them succeed, so a career in education was a natural choice for me. To me, there is nothing more satisfying then leading students to their own discoveries and having that "a-ha" moment. However, some people view the teaching profession as a career to "fall back on" if their original plans don't work out, and these people who do become teachers are often the ones who do not enjoy their job. The students can pickup on this, and find it difficult to get excited about learning new information when their instructor isn't excited about teaching it.
3. How did you decide what grade you wanted to teach?
I have always had a passion for science due to its potential for endless discovery and insights it provides. When you feel passionate about your content, you almost feel inclined to share that passion with other people, and education is the perfect avenue to do so. Although lab work is great and certainly has its place, it pales in comparison to the engaging interactions and discussions that can be had with real individuals in a classroom.
4. What challenges do you face in the classroom?
One of the recurring challenges discussed by the teachers was that their classrooms are very diverse in terms of the different levels of knowledge their students are at. It is therefore our job as teachers to make sure that all students are able to be caught up, despite their different educational backgrounds or how much time or effort it takes to do so.
Another challenge expressed by one of the more novice teachers is that he was very close in age to the students he was teaching. This is definitely a problem that I foresee when I begin student teaching next fall, but I hope to establish my authority not by commanding it, but by earning it with my deep knowledge in my content area and my level of care in the classroom.
5. What has surprised you about teaching?
I completely agree that it is very surprising how much time and effort goes into teaching. As a student, you rarely think about the preparation that goes into preparing lessons, either because great teachers make it look so easy or because bad teachers could not have put any amount of time or effort into their lessons. I am hoping that my students will appreciate the effort they see me putting into the class and hopefully be inspired to put in more effort in return.
6. What advice could you give to students that want to be teachers?
I found this question to be very useful to me considering that I am not a teacher yet. Sometimes it is easy to forget how much dedication and patience teaching requires, and this is something very important to take into account before considering a career in education. After spending time in education classes and obtaining countless observation hours, I am sure that I want the students to be such a big part of my life.
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