Coming to terms with my profession

Upon entering my Professional block this semester, I have already had a mixture of feelings. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and distressed. How can I already be this far in my college career? What happened to the past three years of my academic life? Am I really cut out for this profession called “teaching?”

However, as this past week came to a conclusion I developed an entirely different outlook. I now see this semester as a challenge, a journey to be traveled, a goal to be completed. My distress turned into eustres and I am more excited than ever before. I’m eager to create a unit plan, study the “pedagogy,” and most of all be in the field.

Despite this optimistic outlook, I do have some major concerns about entering the field of teaching:

· How can I discipline students in such a way that I won’t be a “hard drill sergeant” but at the same time not a “pushover?”

· Also pertaining to discipline, how can it be a positive/learning experience as opposed to a negative/degrading one?

· How can I manage my time efficiently and effectively? For example when I have 100 or more papers to grade, lesson plans to create, and reports to send?

· One of my biggest worries is about the “first week” of teaching. What expectations, should I have? What kind of preparations, beyond lesson plans, need to be made?

· Finally, I’m certainly worried about the “not knowing” moments. What do I say when I don’t know the answer to a student’s question? How do I respond when a student “stumps” the teacher?

Yet here are some areas I feel confident in:

· Having worked with young adults in Sunday school, I know how to get their attention (i.e. creating a “hook”). I really enjoy creating unique ways of introducing material and the “big ideas.”

· I feel confident about interacting with the students as other unique human beings. I will remember that they are far more than just a desk or number and that they too have lives outside of the academic realm.

· Connecting the “big idea” with my students’ personal lives is another area I feel relatively confident in. I will try to remember the “environment” and “lifestyle” of high school in order to accomplish this.

· I believe my enthusiasm and energy is one of my greatest strengths. I am confident that I can use that energy to create and engaging and exciting classroom environment.