In picturing myself as a teacher, there is a lot of precious knowledge that I have gained in just this short amount of time. I have learned what kind of classroom I want to have; one where everyone is respected, valued and appreciated for their specific strengths as well as their limitations. I do not want a classroom where the children are afraid to speak their minds or ask questions of their peers or myself. I want my students to know that I care about them as learners but also as individuals. I picture myself having a democratic classroom, not a classroom that is rigid and run like a prison. I have found that there are many teachers who choose to run their classrooms in many different ways, but I want mine to have a sense of community and belonging primarily. That is probably the most crucial thing I have learned this September; I have gained a clear sense of the kind of teacher I want to be in the future.
I have been able to evaluate my own biases while observing this September. I don’t picture myself as someone who holds a lot of biases in general because I imagine myself as non-judgmental. I have come to learn that there are a lot of biases in education, some teachers look at test scores and student folders before the first day and let that shape their impression of the child even before they meet them. I have found that it is very hard to hear about a child’s behavior from a past teacher or learn about their previous test scores and not let it alter your view of them. Although I think it is difficult to avoid creating biases, I also think it’s necessary in order to teach the students. Being in a dual language classroom I find that it is very important to leave any biases about race or ethnicity at the door because the teacher needs to be able to teach and engage children from all races. I think it is important to see the child for who they are instead of just seeing their race. Although I think this is a given, it is still challenging to do at times especially when test scores and reading levels are so prominent in the everyday classroom.
I have learned more than I ever expected about this group of sixth graders in such a short amount of time. While I am not sure if everything I have learned applies to all sixth graders, I think it is at least a good indication of what they are like. I believe that if you gain student’s trust and respect early on in the year that they will be eager and willing to please you. They will want to make you proud of them, and although you should recognize and praise them whenever possible, you need to make sure that it is sincere because they are old enough to know the difference. I have learned that sixth graders, while they are still children, are beginning to deal with very grown up problems. I’ve found that it’s important to remember that each child has a story and that I can’t assume that they have had a similar childhood to myself, even if that may be true. These 45 sixth graders have really inspired me as well. I think it is amazing that they are becoming bilingual in English and Spanish (some already are) because it is going to be an enormous benefit to them later in life, I believe.
The thing that most surprised me throughout this experience is the capability of the sixth graders and what they are able to achieve. I think that this knowledge has taught me to never underestimate children of any age. I don’t want to leave my main placement classroom because I don’t want the children to forget me and I don’t want to become out of touch with their curriculum and progress. Overall I had a great September Experience and learned a lot of valuable skills.
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