My biggest take away from my classroom observations would be about classroom management. Coming into this school year, I truly had no idea what I was doing. I had never taught in a classroom like this, and didn't really no what to expect. In a way, I felt like I was having to play defense for the first semester. I didn't know what kinds of problems I would be facing until it was in my face and I was scrambling to figure out how to handle things or what to do.
When watching the other teachers, I've been amazed at how a clear cut system will enhance the class so much. Even down to the way it is organized. I really liked in our videos how the instructor greeted each student everyday and made them have eye contact with him. I think that is so valuable and something that I will try to implement in the future. I've noticed that the clearer the plan, the better behaved the class is and you have to have clear consequences for rules that are broken. I've seen so many teachers use reward systems and tickets, and if I had known that before, I could have created my own little system for the kids, even though I only saw them for about an hour a week, or I could have met with the teachers to figure out their systems and tried to tie in their classroom management techniques into our art time.
I've learned that it is important to have a support team around you, especially when you first start teaching. A mentor is a must. I've watched the different grade level teams meet and support one another. It is important to bounce ideas off of one another or get help in problems that your are facing. I think the biggest take away from my in school experience has been learning from the other faculty members and the administrators. Everyone has a different perspective and unique ideas and it is valuable to take advantage of that. And last of all, I have realized that being a teacher enables you to be a life long learner, which is the added bonus of making a difference in the kids lives!
