I had in the fall semester a great experience where I went to Ahlia School for observation. These are my reflections about the experience:
1. What professional learning have I gained this term?
This term I gained a lot of professional learning. The mentor teacher offered me the opportunity to practice some kinds of tutoring for the students. I entered the course of observation with fear because it was the first time that I was going to deal and interact with students. I sat in the classroom in the corner having the wish that the teacher doesn’t ask me to do anything. However, when the teacher asked me to do certain things I didn’t refuse. I was surprised by my achievements and the teacher was too. For example, the teacher in this term asked me to explain a lesson for the student about the compare and contrast writing and it went great. Even the teacher told me that he wouldn’t have explained the topic better than I did. Moreover, the teacher let me in many cases correct some of the students assignments, let me alone with the students to supervise them in exams and while they were solving exercises, asked me to move between the students and check whether they were writing good thesis statements or not, etc… I did many things that let me gain some professional learning of how to explain certain topics for students, how to manage misbehaviors, how to correct assignments and many other things.
2. What personal learning have I gained this term?
I personally learned that in all aspects of my life, I should be more self confident. I should believe in my abilities and trust the capabilities that life and the university hade taught me. The experience of teaching student even if it was for that only 15 minutes but it made me remember that even though I am still a fresh graduate but I can teach may be better than some teachers. Also I learned that a teacher can make mistakes but this doesn’t mean he/she is failure. Students can correct for him. It is a two way direction process. Teachers and students benefit from each other. Moreover, I can clearly say that my major of psychology benefits me a lot if I wanted to teach because many terms that students faced are within that field and in some cases the mentor teacher spelled these words wrongly so I corrected for him. The observation in general, let me familiar with different students from grades 11 and 12. I liked the students and they made me more confident.
3. What has been my greatest professional success this term?
My greatest professional success was that I could explain for students one type of writing where they understood it and the teacher find no need to repeat it after me or add anything. Moreover, there was one student in grade 11 who didn’t share anything with the class and he looked lonely. When I asked students about him they told me that “he doesn’t have a personality”. I talked with the student and asked him about the reason why he doesn’t participate. After that, when I was explaining, I intended to choose him to participate. I was surprised that after that the student raised his hand by himself to participate. I was happy because I could change one student and let him engage in the class. Moreover, I shadowed one student who had difficulty following with the teacher.
4. How will next term’s development follow on from what I have achieved this term?
Because I went a lot to the school, students now are familiar with me. Some liked me. Therefore, next semester I can easily continue my practicum and give the students small lessons because I know their names and their styles of learning. I know the students who misbehave a lot in the classroom and the students who rarely participate. Taking all these into consideration I can prepare my lesson plans such that they fit the different learning styles of the students. I observed many activities done by the teacher so I gained some knowledge about the role of the teacher in the class room and how to deal with misbehaviors.
5. What has been the impact of my learning this term?
My learning this term has a great impact. I am not any more afraid of teaching. I am more self confident. I am more optimistic regarding future teaching. Before this observation, I tended to say that I am not going to teach in my life and I am doing the teaching diploma to teach in case I needed money to pursue my education in psychology; however, after doing my observation, I realized that of course teaching is not that easy job but as a teacher you can create you own ways to make teaching an interesting and fascinating job. It is the teacher, the candle, who really melts to enlighten her students.
