Saturday, October 22, 2011

Blog Post # 9


What I've Learned This Year (2008-09). This is first year of Mr. McClung's teaching and he states he was young and inexperienced as a teacher. He taught in Noel, Missouri as an elementary school teacher. Mr. McClung talks about the different things he has learned during his first year of teaching. The things he has learned were: "how to read the crowd; how to be flexible, communicate and reasonable; how not to be afraid of technology, how to listen to his students and how to never stop learning". He describes some of his experiences with the things he learned and a way to help others not make the mistakes he made. 

Mr. McClung's post is great for first year teachers to read. It is a guide in helping teachers through their first year of teaching. I enjoyed reading this blog post because it was not just a normal post about teaching, Mr. McClung uses his own experiences to explain what he is talking about. I will look out for and use the things he talks about in his post to help me in my first year of teaching. 

hey teacher poem

What I've Learned This Year (2010-11)
What I've Learned This Year (2010-11). This is Mr.McClung's third year of teaching. He says this is the first year he is at the same school for more than a year. This is also the first year he coached cross-country so he experienced many things this year. The things he learned were: "know your boss, don't expect others to be as excited about change as you are, don't be afraid to be an outsider, don't touch the keyboard, don't get comfortable". 

Mr. McClung talks about being an outsider and not being part of the crowd. I think many teachers find themselves going along with the other teachers in hopes of making friends. Sometimes its better to be an outsider then to be part of the crowd. Mr. McClung states not to lose sight of the reason you become a teacher, which is the students. Teaching is not all about making friends with the other teachers but its about your students and better your knowledge so you may be a better teacher.
What I've Learned This Year (2009-10)

3 comments:

  1. Hi LaVenia,
    Your blog is colorful, and cheerful! I'm glad you make your text colorful like I do; it makes it easier to read I think!
    You made some good points about Mr. McClung's experiences and what he developed as his list of good advice based on his first years in the classroom. I like that he shies away from being part of the crowd too. You're right that the students are the main reason and focus for choosing a life in the classroom. The quotes were a nice touch. I think you took away several important points as you read his posts.
    I made a link to his blog, so anyone can click on it and see what he said. That's the only thing you might want to add to your post; you did a good job outlining your insights after reading his posts!

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  2. LaVenia,

        I enjoyed reading your blog post this week. I agree that Mr. McClung's post from his first year teaching is a useful tool. As someone who has already had experience as a first year teacher, his advice is perfect. Refer to his post periodically after you get your own classroom because he has some great "words of wisdom."

        I understand that the reason we choose to be teachers is for the students, but don't lose sight in what your co-workers have to offer. They are your allies and a great source of knowledge and experience. It is in your best interest to create a bond with your co-workers and establish a good working environment.

        Good luck with your studies.

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  3. Hello LaVenia!

    I'm back for another comment, although this one isn't going to be very long. I think you did a nice job of providing a summary of Mr. McClung's experiences and his purposes for his posts, but I think you could have told us a bit more about your own interpretations of his lessons-learned. Just a thought.

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