Life of a teacher
- Chardonnay Venter
- Sep 27, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2023
Completing "Life of a Teacher" in three days was a tough but gratifying experience. I used many techniques to deal with my responsibilities: Each day was meticulously scheduled, with a specific timetable that covered instruction, preparation, and grading. This helped me make the most of my time and stay organized. Since teaching can be unpredictable, I needed to be adaptable and adapt to unanticipated developments in the classroom. This adaptability enabled me to deal with disruptions and changes with ease. Recognizing the possibility of stress and emotional drain, I made an effort to practice self-care. To deal with the stress, I took short pauses, practiced relaxation techniques, and kept a cheerful mindset. I requested guidance and support from my mentor teacher, coworkers, and peers. Their advice and mentoring were vital during this experience. I regularly engaged in reflective practice, examining the lessons and experiences of the day. This assisted me in identifying areas for improvement and adjusting my teaching approaches as needed. I was filled with a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and contentment. While it was difficult, having my learners engage with the content and improve was really rewarding. During the three days, I learned how to manage the demands of a teacher and gained a greater appreciation for the profession. The event taught me significant lessons about successful teaching and classroom management.
In Block 1 it was stressful as my mentor teacher said I only needed to do the lessons nothing else, but it was fun to see how the learners adapted the lesson because they were excited that another teacher could teach them. I did feel overwhelmed because I could not prepare beforehand so she gave me the lessons in the morning when I needed to take over. In Block 2, it was different because she gave me more responsibilities. She let me take the learners' tuck orders, take them to the library, and do other activities. Block 2 was a bit more challenging than Block 1 because there were more responsibilities and some of these activities were challenging.
The most challenging activities in a day in the life of a teacher were maintaining discipline and a suitable learning atmosphere in the classroom was tough, especially with diverse and energetic groups of learners. It was difficult to give direct instruction because meeting the individual needs of each learner was difficult, some learners did understand what to do and others were lost. I felt that grading and feedback was a challenging activity because providing constructive feedback and timely grading was time-consuming, and finding the appropriate balance between encouragement and critique was not always simple. How I overcame this by giving clear rules, consistent punishments, and positive reinforcement. I also establish connections with learners in order to create a respectful and cooperative environment. I overcame this by giving differentiated instruction approaches that were used such as arranging learners based on ability or providing extra support to those who require it. I did set reasonable goals for the learners. I also marked their books when they finished the work and provided immediate feedback. When I see a mistake I will tell to them quickly check their answer and if they double check their answer they hand in their work.
I selected areas where I would rank myself higher after examining the findings of my self-evaluation survey. These are often subjects or competencies in which I have gained expertise, received positive feedback, or expended significant effort. For example, after completing ongoing professional development and gaining practical teaching experience, I would most certainly grade myself higher in areas such as lesson planning, classroom management, and subject matter expertise. These advancements are the consequence of actively seeking mentor advice, reflecting on my teaching techniques, and modifying my strategies to better meet the needs of my students. In addition, I have improved my capacity to engage students and create a good learning environment, which frequently results in higher self-evaluation scores in these categories.
Teaching two mathematics lessons in a single day provided me excellent opportunity to hone my mathematics instructing skills. By reducing complex topics down into digestible pieces, I strengthened my capacity to simplify them. This experience helped me gain a better grasp of how students learn and where they might struggle. I improved my ability to make mathematical topics more approachable and engaging by using visual aids, real-life analogies, and hands-on exercises. My ability to respond to learners' queries and concerns in real time has also considerably increased. Teaching the recycling life skills lesson improved my ability to present real-world, socially relevant knowledge. I learnt how to include interesting and thought-provoking exercises that inspire students to think critically and examine their responsibilities as citizens. My ability to organize debates on complex themes improved, allowing me to guide students in exploring their own points of view while being objective and balanced. Reading a story aloud may appear simple, but it assisted me in improving my abilities to keep kids engaged and cultivate a love of reading. I learnt how to make the story more interesting by using intonation, gestures, and enthusiasm. I also developed a better understanding of how to choose appropriate reading materials for pupils based on their age and interests. The experience enhanced my ability to promote literacy and assist children in developing their language and comprehension skills. Overall, this experience allowed me to hone my teaching skills across a variety of disciplines and instructional techniques. I grew more versatile, resourceful, and adept at meeting a variety of learning demands. It also deepened my knowledge of the significance of engaging, interactive teaching methods, as well as the role of a teacher in molding students' comprehension of both academic and real-life themes.
Taking tuck orders and bringing students to the library developed my organized and managerial abilities. I improved my efficiency in handling administrative work, assuring proper orders, and successfully scheduling library excursions. This experience enhanced my logistics and student management skills. Conducting a math's class in Block 2 enhanced my ability to convey challenging material. I improved my teaching methods by focusing on the unique learning styles and demands of each student. I learned to modify my technique in order to make mathematical subjects more approachable and entertaining. Supervising break duty improved my ability to maintain discipline and ensure a safe and respectful school environment. It provided an opportunity to hone efficient classroom management skills and learn how to handle disagreements or concerns that may emerge during break periods. My proficiency in language education was enhanced by the English lesson, which included a spelling test, narrative reading, and question-and-answer session. I enhanced my capacity to develop exams that assess students' language abilities and comprehension. Reading stories and leading question and answer sessions improved my storytelling and communication abilities, making the topic more engaging and interactive for students. The pollution life skills lesson expanded my ability to discuss major societal concerns in the classroom. I learnt how to make lessons relevant and entertaining by using real-world situations. I was able to improve students' critical thinking skills and motivate them to take an active role in environmental preservation by discussing the effects of pollution. In Block 2, I kept improving my teaching skills in a variety of settings, from administrative chores to classroom instruction. This experience aided my development as a teacher by emphasizing the value of adaptability, and communication, and encouraging students' academic and social development.
After evaluating my exit level results and input from my mentor teacher, I recognise that there is still potential for improvement and further experience in my teaching journey. Without a doubt, I have improved in numerous elements of teaching, and I now feel competent of handling a classroom on my own. This teaching experience has been invaluable in broadening my knowledge of working with varied learners and developing my classroom management abilities, which were previously a source of concern for me. I am truly confident in my talents as a teacher, and I am excited about the prospects that await me in the field of education.

Please follow the link to see my comment on Tracy-Lee's Day of the life of a teacher blog. https://tsteinmann777.wixsite.com/tracy-lee-steinmann/post/life-as-a-teacher?commentId=72e20620-ae4f-4347-a154-1f2268186103
Reading through your reflection Chardonnay, it is amazing how we all seem to be faced with issues that need solutions, and this is where I find it so helpful to be able to fall back on the theory we have learned. Whether it be, having to prepare lessons or manage the class and the children. It has helped me immensely to be able to reflect on the theory and then apply it. It helps to read about others experiences and realise that, as in your reflection, we are all continuously learning and practicing our skills. It gives me great comfort to know that I am not alone in this and we are all reaching a stage where our studies an…
Please follow this link to see my comment on Vanessa's life of a teacher. https://vanarmvclearn.wixsite.com/mrs-a-classroom/post/life-of-a-teacher?commentId=e926dd83-d5cd-4093-b39d-eb059ee177ec
Your reflection on the three days in the life of a teacher is inspiring and sincere. It is encouraging to read the solutions that you used to overcome the challenges that you experienced within the classroom. You made reference to real-world examples when conducting various lessons, which I view as important as it assists the learners' in understanding crucial concepts. Your experience within block 2 in the three days in the life of a teacher seemed to be more challenging as you were tasked with more responsibilities, however, you overcame this by using different teaching approaches and it ultimately enhanced your learner management skills. I really enjoyed reading how you acknowledged the fact that we all are constantly learning new…
please find the link of my comment on Rochelle's day in the life of a teacher blog. https://rochelleht8.wixsite.com/rochelle-hartman-tea/post/day-in-a-life-of-a-teacher?commentId=7c9b92c3-ceb2-4d55-94ef-57a5af067c74