Blog Assignment #9

Mr. McClung's blog post were a really good read. It showed to the struggles of a new teacher and how he overcame the situations he went through. I like how Mr. McClung was able to let his guard down and tell the work what happened through his first 3 years as a teacher. This is the type of blog that I know will help me in the future because eventually I will be in his position. Blogs like this one will help me avoid and be conscious of the mistakes that are out there.

The first post I read by Mr. McClung was his very first school year as a teacher. What I learned this school year (2008-09) states that he learned so much from the beginning to the end of the school year and decided to share his journey. I like how he broke everything down with titles that were his lessons he learned. Some of the titles were Learn how to read a crowd, Be flexible, and Communicate. Reading a crowd is important to do as a new teacher because you can make the mistake of not making your lessons student-based. McClung noticed that with a lot of teachers. With his teaching personally, remembering that student comprehension is key. Flexibility seemed to be a really important lesson to McClung and was something that I got a lot out of. He states to his audience to be flexible with your lessons because none of them will be as perfect as one may strive for. I can relate to this because I know when I start teaching, I am going to want everything I do to be perfect, and will be upset if they’re not. But I know that I am going to have to try hard to not beat myself up over the little things. Like McClung says “ When things go wrong, simply work with it and try to better the situation.....and make sure you do it with a smile on your face!” Communication is the biggest advice you can give for any job. As a teacher, there are so many people you have to communicate with which include students, parents, other teachers, and your bosses. The toughest part about communication as a teacher is you have to learn how to talk to each group of people because they are all different. McClung states that it is the hardest skill to learn, but I hope to gain practice and master it as best I can.

The second post I read was Mr. McClung’s second school year. In this post, What I Learned this School Year (2009-10) started teaching jr. high students at a new school with a different subject. The advice he gives in this post is on a different level as the first, seeing as he now has experience. and he’s learning how to make himself a better educator. He uses the same concept of giving advice through his titles. Some of the topics that stood out to me were Adapt, Check your Ego at the Door, and don’t lose sight of what is important. Adapting is very important as a teacher, especially if you plan on teaching in a new area. Sometimes you have to adapt within your own school like with the lessons you teach. I hope to be able to adapt without any problems when I begin teaching. I’m sure it was hard for McClung to check his ego at the door. It’s necessary to do what it takes for students to learn and worry about how you will look in front of your students. Unfortunately, Mr. McClung had some issues with his administration. But he remembered that he had to conduct himself in the classroom because he is not teaching for the drama, he’s teaching for the students. I agree with McClung on this situation. I feel that there are always going to be problems in a workplace, but with teaching, you have to put the big picture first, which is the students. I didn’t get to read Mr. McClung’s third post, but I’m sure it’s full of advice that will help a lot of third year teachers.
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