Teachers 11/3

On Monday night we had teachers who have been teaching for ten years or less come in and talk to us. It was nice to hear from them. They are actually in the classroom and still learning new teaching tools everyday. We had a music, special education, and 5th grade teacher.

The first question that was asked was what surprised them the most about teaching. The answer they gave surprised me a little. Two of them said that sometimes their ideas are not accepted. The teachers who have been teaching for a while have their way and they don't want to change. They said that even if they are told that their idea will not work, they still have to try it and find out for themselves.

We asked them about No Child Left Behind and how they felt about it. They agreed that there is a lot of emphasis on test scores. They didn't have anything negative to say about the process. The test scores are helpful for them to determine where the students are at and where they need help. They also show the teacher what they may need to review with the students and may need to improve themselves. The main focus of the tests is on reading and making the benchmarks that are set.

They were also asked about their education. They are all graduates of Luther College. They were asked how their first semester of teaching went and if they felt prepared by Luther. They all thought that Luther did a great job of preparing them for teaching. What all of them said is that you are never fully prepared until you are in your own classroom with your own students. Each year is a learning experience. You take what you learned each year and apply it to the next. They also said that you need to find what works for you, because what works for others may not work for you.

When asked if there was one thing they know now that they wish they knew the first year. They all said parent communication. Parent communication is a big part of the students education. They said that students come from different home situation. You need to build student relationships and know your students. Take the time to make a connection. It is important to keep in touch with parents either by e-mail or a phone call. The parents want to know what is going on.

It was nice to have teacher come in who have only been teaching for a few years. It was nice to hear their views and surprises they have had.