My Teacher Identity

Response to Prompt 7

Going into this experience I was nervous, scared, and unsure of what I was getting myself into. I had never worked with children in a classroom setting prior to this and knew that by the end of my first visit I may have second thoughts about getting into this MAT program entirely.

I was blown away by how much I observed in just the little time that I was there. I formed relationships with the children and found myself looking forward to my next visit just to see their excited little faces. One night while leaving my own class I heard a little voice call out to me. It was a student from the classroom who I had been working with earlier that afternoon. The excitement in his voice and look on his face made me so happy to be doing this work.

Throughout my observations I was lucky enough to see my teacher act in a number of different roles other than a “teacher”.  Many time she played several roles at the same time, trying to observe while manage, and participating with the kids in order to challenge their thinking and expand their answers. I think that as a teacher in a young classroom it is important to be able to nurture children at any moment and be sensitive to their young minds. My teacher did a great job as a scheduler. For example, after announcing that it was reading time the kids spent roughly 20-25 minutes reading. At this point I could tell the kids were getting antsy and their attention was waning and it was at this point that she announced it was writing time, an activity the kids seemed to get very excited about. With kids this young I think scheduling your day around their attention spans is very important to ensure that they not only participate, but stay well-behaved. 

I think about how to create bonds with the students that allow them to trust me as their friend, but still respect the fact that I am the teacher and they are the student.  I wonder how I will find a rhythm and if it will change with new years and new children. The world of teaching is still very new to me, and I am soaking up all of these experiences with an optimistic outlook on how I will help them shape me into becoming a successful, reflective teacher.