At this time during my student teaching I have developed a great deal more confidence in my abilities as a teacher. Currently I am teaching full time in the classroom. After the midterm assessment with my university supervisor, my strengths have become more evident, and we have set goals for the rest of the semester.
In the area of instructional management, I am engaging all students into discussions and providing an environment for sharing ideas which makes the students feel comfortable and at ease in the classroom. This allows for students to grasp new concepts quickly and easily. Another recognized strength in this area, is my sensitivity to the needs of the students. I am able to reflect and evaluate during presentation and adjust quickly to ensure student engagement. This has added to the improvement of my time management skills. On the other hand, one of my goals is to work on applying curricular decisions after I have thought through my students’ responses.
During the rest of my student teaching, I will refine my communication with the students by using more professional verbal comments as opposed to “teen” terminology. This will allow for more appropriate student behavior and a more preventative behavior management strategy. Additionally, I will call several parents with positive feedback on their students’ progress to establish a proactive cooperative relationship with them to increase my communication with the community.