As a new teacher with a prior career, I feel misunderstood. When I tell people I was a litigation attorney before entering the teaching profession, they assume certain things about me. They imagine that I am a dazzling public speaker. They feel that I must have powerful persuasive skills and be able to win over any audience. They believe I am a fearless person with an outgoing personality and natural interpersonal skills. They seem to imagine that teaching will be a breeze for me with this skill set.
Unfortunately, none of those assumptions about me is correct. I was a successful attorney mostly because of my strong research and analysis skills, and my attention to detail. In other words, I can write a darn good brief. I also am able to collaborate on team projects, because I am easy to get along with. I am naturally introverted (but not shy), and, although I have argued in courtrooms on many occasions, I don't relish the spotlight. And, although I am brave, I'm not fearless.
Teaching high school students is more challenging than I had imagined it would be. I have found student engagement a real challenge. Every day I wonder, how do I get 80 students aged 15 or 16 to care about world history? Many of them are just trying to get through high school with average grades and go on to community college, and they don't care one whit about history, current events, or reading books. Many of the readings in my EDSS530 have discussed the issue of student engagement. I use technology where I can, but I have to find ways of engaging them with conventional means as well. As a reflective practitioner and a life-long learner, I constantly think about how to improve my teaching. My Instagram Storify (below) documents part of my journey.
Unfortunately, none of those assumptions about me is correct. I was a successful attorney mostly because of my strong research and analysis skills, and my attention to detail. In other words, I can write a darn good brief. I also am able to collaborate on team projects, because I am easy to get along with. I am naturally introverted (but not shy), and, although I have argued in courtrooms on many occasions, I don't relish the spotlight. And, although I am brave, I'm not fearless.
Teaching high school students is more challenging than I had imagined it would be. I have found student engagement a real challenge. Every day I wonder, how do I get 80 students aged 15 or 16 to care about world history? Many of them are just trying to get through high school with average grades and go on to community college, and they don't care one whit about history, current events, or reading books. Many of the readings in my EDSS530 have discussed the issue of student engagement. I use technology where I can, but I have to find ways of engaging them with conventional means as well. As a reflective practitioner and a life-long learner, I constantly think about how to improve my teaching. My Instagram Storify (below) documents part of my journey.