These past weeks I have been challenged in and out of the classroom. With the death of my aunt, helping my mother to move furniture around to prepare for new carpet, homework and student teaching; my life has been shaken up. This past month I have learned as a middle school teacher not only do I need to have a thick skin and not to take things personal. However, sometimes it is easy forget because we are still human. My master teacher has been teaching me of how to create classroom management and to stay consistent with it. In Psalm 20:4 says “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed”. God has put it in my heart to become a teacher and has placed me on a track in my life, which has lead me to where I am today. I have had obstacles in my life, where I feel it has made me strong and given me the heart to be a teacher. However, I have been hearing stories from teachers of where the classroom is a place where students misbehave and can take over. Nonetheless, my master teacher has been teaching me of how to keep pace and how to have students stay consistent in their work and behavior. I have been able to do this by staying consistent keeping and myself up with my classroom management. I feel that God had a plan for me to be placed in this classroom and with this teacher so I can learn proper classroom management and how to use different teaching strategies. In Psalms 20:5 it states, “May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests”. In this portion of the Psalm I realized that not only am I a teacher I am a son, a boyfriend, friend, football fan, hokey fan, there are many different aspects to my life, which makes me who I am. Therefore, the stress, which effect my life in and out of the classroom is just life and how I have been learning how to manage a classroom, I need to learn how to manage my new life as an adult, a professional and a family man. I know my faith as where it is today, I need to relay on God to get me through the times where I feel weak or not in control. I need to give to the Lord so that he can direct me when I feel lost. I am grateful for where I am and being a part of the APU program, because I feel I have received the best training anyone can ask for.
Love, passion, and patients is a cornerstone to a Christian and a teacher. As I read I Peter 2:4-10, I realized that we as Christians are the bricks of the creation of Zion. Zion refers to Jerusalem, and according to my pastor, it refers to heaven. The bricks, which are clean and pure, will be used to build the Kingdom of Heaven, and the bricks, which are not, are throw to the side. These bricks can become obstacles for others who are seeking for a place in Zion.
As I reflected on this passage and the role of a teacher, I have come to realize that we as teachers can become an obstacles for our students, just as much as they can become an obstacle for the teacher. I feel that we need to work with our students and build upon trust and communication in and out of the classroom. Students need to know that they can communicate with the teacher and trust that they will do what is right by them. From my experience from student teaching, I have come to realize that there are students out there who do not have the support from their parents and this will cause issue in the way students will act in class. Therefore, it will be difficult to make a difficult phone call to a parent or enlist them for help. Then there are parents out there who want to help and support their children. As a teacher, I need to be there, help my students, and work with them and open lines of communication with parents. I feel the hardest part will be not to become overly connected and emotionally devoted. I am a person who will help and dedicate myself to be the best as I can possibly be in any situation. Nonetheless, I will be brining who I am and my faith and love into my classroom. |