REFLECTION #2

Reflection on teaching

Reflecting on my teaching after being introduced to this course of study was not a very pleasant experience for me however very enlightening. This exercise forced me to take a very introspective look at my self and the teaching strategies that I employed during my two year tenure in the classroom. Was I a strategic teacher?

Answering this question meant that I had to firstly examine what it means to be a strategic teacher. My interpretation of a "good" teacher was one who cared about her students' learning, and therefore took the time to plan her lessons, teach vocabulary skills, and generally assist my students in understanding what they have read. Strategic? This was a totally new realm of literature to me. I now recognise that it is my responsibility to actively and directly teach my students the basic reading and writing skills that will equip them to becoming better learners.

Previously during my teaching of Language, I did utilise some strategies to help my students become effective readers. Our lessons always commenced with an exciting scenario to focus the students or just to get them organised and energised. The topic would then be written onto board, followed by examples of the concept I wanted to teach. This was done especially when teaching spelling rules. In the case of comprehension passages, I read the passage in their hearing, then distribute the passages to be read as a whole. New words would be picked out and students were required to derive meaning context.

In many instances the results were positive, but there were other students lagging behind. I could not fathom their misunderstanding and this became very frustrating for the class. These students would have to be dealt with at another time or given other tasks to accomplish. I know now that although i may have engaged in some useful strategies, this was hardly sufficient. The lessons seemed to be lacking and I must now admit that I was not a "good" teacher.

Every child has the potential to learn and therefore need special attention and the necessary skills to foster learning. The teaching/learning process must be an explicit exercise, and it is the responsibility of the English teacher to ensure that her students can apply the skills learnt to their other content areas. Knowing how to do so is a procedure that must also be taught not left to chance or assumption. My goal is to become a strategic teacher, develop strategic learners and allow my students to view their learning as a journey where despite the hindrances we will get to our destination. I have much learning to do.

Leonilla Minvielle