Blog Post #9

What I've Learned This Year (2008-09)
Mr. Joe McClung
     The link above takes you to the website where Mr. McClung tells what his first year of teaching was like. Here, he explains what his first year of teaching has taught him. At the very top of the blog was Mr. McClung's decision to stay positive. I believe that this is a must for teachers, especially if you know that teaching is what you want to do. This is important because you cannot let things that go wrong steer you away from what you really want to do.
      Mr. McClung states that he learned "how to read the crowd" in his first year as a teacher. He explains how lesson plans must be student centered and teachers need to check for student comprehension. He feels that in order to be effective, you have to let your audience drive the instruction. I agree. He also stated that he learned to be flexible. I know that this is important for teaching because there are so many things that can happen that you simply did NOT plan for. My favorite part was when he said in BIG, HUGE text, " NO LESSON IS PERFECT.THE LESSON YOU TEACH AND THE ONE YOU PLAN ARE ALWAYS DIFFERENT". I have heard this before and it is a very good line for new teachers to always remember. This is not to say that you shouldn't plan your lessons, but you should not beat yourself up over mistakes made. Mr. McClung also wrote about how he learned to be reasonable, to not be afraid of technology, to listen to his students, and to never stop learning; these are all very good things to remember.

What I've Learned This Year (2009-10)
Mr. Joe McClung
     This was Mr. McClung's second year teaching and again he inspires us with more knowledge on what he has learned in the 2009-2010 school year. These posts are an excellent source for new teachers. Not only do they give an overview of what we can expect, but gives us what has been experienced so that we may be able to adapt and may not have to experience these lessons for ourselves. Like the first year, Mr. McClung learned several things his second year teaching. My favorite lessons that he learned are below.


     The second year, Mr. McClung learned to adapt and to travel the path least traveled. This is not depending solely on "planned" lesson plans and this also goes hand in had with being flexible. So, I believe this is one of the most important lessons learned. He learned to find his school mom. Your school mom is that mother figure that you can depend on for help because they know the ins and outs of how the school operates. He mentions that if you handle yourself right and gain the respect of your school mom, she will do anything for you! Great! (note to self)