When I Become A Teacher...

Because I am not yet a teacher, I feel as though I can offer a unique point of view on this video. Obviously, all of the teachers interviewed did not initially set out to do the things they said they want to do "when they become a teacher." Fresh out of college, after taking numerous education classes and having sat through countless hours of classroom observation, a new teacher will have an idea of exactly how they wish to run their classrooms based on both the good and the bad examples of teaching they have observed and learned about. However, once they actually get into the classroom, they may realize that they are faced with many challenges they did not anticipate, or did anticipate but underestimated. Some of these challenges might be that they have difficulty implementing certain instructional activities due to a very large class size or lack of funds for supplies, difficulty connecting with a diverse group of students that have diversified even further since they got their teaching degree, or pressure from administrators to produce higher grades on the same types of standardized tests they were taught to avoid implementing in their classrooms in favor of more authentic means of assessment. Because of these unexpected challenges and roadblocks, teachers might feel a sense of failure, that everything they had learned in school meant nothing and that they are on their own. However, it is important to remember that a teacher is never alone and that they have the support of fellow colleagues: both novice teachers who might be feeling the same way and veteran teachers who felt that way at one point in their career.

When I become a teacher, I want students to feel comfortable expressing themselves in the classroom and to always feel like their voice is being heard. I want them to feel like they play an active role in their education and are not simply passive observers. I want them to feel like the information they're learning matters to them and is helping them to become better critical thinkers. I want them to constantly ask questions and to wonder, never feeling like they will be criticized for their thoughts or questions. I want to get to know them in order to understand their interests and make the information I'm teaching as interesting as possible so that they will not get bored or frustrated. I will demonstrate my passion for my content area in the hopes of encouraging and inspiring them to be passionate about the content and their education. I will stay away from constant lecturing, instead implementing creative and engaging models of instruction. I will avoid constant quizzes and tests in favor of more authentic means of assessment. But perhaps most importantly, when I become a teacher, I will continue to learn by not being afraid to try new things in the classroom and to always take into account student feedback, making sure to consistently reflect along the way, in order to provide the best educational experience for my students as possible.