September 26, 2011
Heidi Dreiling
1945 N. Rock Rd. Apt 506
Wichita, KS 67206
Re: A Letter of Reflection One Year Down the Road
To My Future Self:
Well you made it! You obtained your Secondary English Education Degree and you finally have your first year of teaching under your belt. I am sure that this first year has been scary and challenging at times. That is why I am writing you this letter. I am here to remind you why you chose to become a teacher and to jog your memory of a few things along the way.
I am sure that during your first year you were excited, worried, frustrated, proud, and several other things. These emotions are common and I hope you never find yourself not feeling anything, because emotions help make you feel alive. Every day, you are given the gift of helping children become better students and better human beings; therefore, it is important to never forget that it is a significant thing to be a teacher.
Remember the things that you learned from the CTs’ that you have worked under in the past. One of the most important things is to always show respect. Show respect to your students, your colleagues, and yourself. Be willing to go out of your way to help others when you are given the opportunity. Do not allow yourself, as a teacher, to become too comfortable. Switch things up and be willing to use other resources, such as your colleagues, to help you formulate new ideas. Create new lessons that you have never done; do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.
One of the most important things that you were told in your education classes is to be consistent and to always implement rules and procedures. If you are facing challenges within the classroom, especially in regard to discipline problems, stop and ask yourself some vital questions. Am I being consistent? Am I being proactive or do I wait and react? Do I remind my students regularly of my expectations? Do not become frustrated and just give up, but evaluate what is working and what is not, and then make the necessary changes. Keep in mind there are several ways to evaluate your teaching methods. You can video tape yourself, audio record yourself, or even have a colleague come in and assess. It is necessary to do these things to help you improve as a teacher.
Finally, have fun; you love to learn and you love to help others. You have been given this amazing opportunity, so every time you step into the classroom appreciate and respect the job.
Sincerely,
Heidi Dreiling
Dear Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your Genre Reflection. This reminds me of a Brad Paisley song's "Letter to Me." I really like how you said that you have been given the gift of teaching. When people tell me how crazy I am for wanting to teach middle schoolers, they don't realize that those students can bless the teacher as much as the teacher can bless the student. I am looking forward to my first "present" that I open on my first day of school and see what is inside in the form of beautiful young people to hopefully inspire and teach. I know you will be a wonderful teacher.
Sincerely,
Amy Haight
Dear Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your Genre Reflection! I really enjoyed the format you chose to write your reflection in. It is a good reminder that sometimes we need to not only reflect on the past but also think about the future and the advice we can sometimes give yourselves! I could really relate to your paragraph about the emotions we are all likely to experience during our first year as teachers. Your letter is a good reminder that although we may have those anxious, nervous, and scared feelings these feelings are what make us human beings and we need to embrace and learn from our feelings. I know you are going to be an awesome teacher!
Dear Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your genre reflection. Your letter serves as a wonderful reminder that we shouldn't lose focus on why we chose this profession, despite the challenges! I was impressed by your thoughts on "not getting too comfortable" and that we should remember to challenge ourselves in the future. Your reflection was truly inspiring!
Sincerely,
Nancy Best
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely wonderful! What a creative and poignant way to express yourself. Kudos to you for having the courage to look to the future and not let yourself be too overwhelmed by the chaos of this current semester! I especially liked the part about respect--how even though we're in a position of authority and deserve respect, we still must be disciplined enough to show respect to others as well; thank you for that gentle reminder. Thank you also for challenging me to never become too comfortable; the last thing I'd ever want to be is a complacent teacher. You've listed so many great rules and pieces of advice that I know I will return to your blog more than once to re-read this reflection. And I may even write a letter to myself, to be read a year from now. Brilliant :)
Dear Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your 'letter to self' genre reflection, it was very insightful and in my opinion brave to write. You gave yourself some constructive criticism that others may not have, great job! Having this outlook already will surely pave the way for you to be a great teacher! I really liked the way you ended your letter and you are exactly right; have fun and respect the job and it will respect you. Awesome job on your reflection Heidi, well done!
Sincerely,
Kyle Schwanke