Life after Graduation

The End of the Road

I have come to the end of my college career and it is bitter sweet for me. I feel as though I am in between being prepared to enter a classroom but not fully. I had some pretty awesome instructors who have made a huge impact on my life and I am very grateful for them. A lot of knowledge has been instilled in me during my four years here at Prairie View and I will take them with me as I begin the next chapter in my journey. I plan to become the best teacher I can possible be for my students. Everything that I have learned from projects, peers, observations, courses etc. I will incorporate into my classroom and among my new peers who will be my co-workers. I will never take for granted this experience I’ve had a Prairie View and am so glad I chose this school to call home. I will miss you greatly Prairie View. Thank you for everything.

With Love,

Kayla

Click on the link below to see a glimpse of my experience at Prairie View.  Any and everyone should consider Prairie View A&M University as a choice for college.It was one that I will never forget! While your on the website, check out the majors and programs that the school has.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lm-v34nE04

                       Teacher Interviews

Below is a link to popular interview questions asked in teacher interview. It is really beneficial and will help prepare you for the real deal. Try practicing posture, and ways that you would answer each question in the mirror. It works!

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin396.shtml

I have been researching the internet for the perfect set of questions that I could potentially be asked on a teacher interview. There are some pretty helpful tools out there that have helped me greatly though out my search. I usually practice basic interview questions in the mirror for job interviews, but thought that I would take it a step further for my own teacher interview. I collected a series of questions I believed would be great for an interview. I called up my mentor and asked if I could conduct a mock interview with him to give me an example of what one would look like. While interviewing him, I recorded his answers on my phone for later reference. I watched how he conducted himself during the interview and listened to his tone and diction as he spoke. After we finished, he gave me some tips on how to answer questions and even asked me some questions on the spot. I felt more prepared than ever and feel as though the interview portion of obtaining a teacher position, is the least of my worries.

                       Am I Good Enough?
I was trying not to make this blog a negative one with so much talk about scares and worries about teaching and my future, but then I forgot about my audience. There are many of my peers out there that may potentially have the same worries and doubts that I have about the issues I am about to touch on. So here it goes. I am super scared for my first year of teaching and it is very nerve wrecking. I've heard many of times how a lot of teachers do not make ir past their first year of teaching due to the challenges they face in their careers. Sometimes the issue is the students and sometimes it is the work. My problem is not the kids, but the work. I constantly have doubts about being an effective teacher. How will i deliver? How would I know for sure that my students are comprehending? These are just some of the many thoughts that run through my mind. I know that I am fully capable of completing any obstacle I come across but I wanted to insure my audience that they are not alone in their doubts. So with all that said, keep the faith! We will succeed and be great teachers.

                  Technology in the Classroom

One component that teachers have to work with is technology, and incorporating it within their lessons. With the rise of technology and its link with education, there are dozens of new ways of engaging students in the lesson. Technology can be considered a learning tool and can benefit children by helping students who require hands on activities or visuals to understand content. Students will also be engaged in the content as well as be entertained. I pads, computer games such as math games or reading tools, and musical learning videos, are all great technology tools that students will love and will make learning fun. Technology is ever changing and will forever be used in this world. It important for students of all ages to get familiar with technology because they will be using it in every aspect of learning in their school careers to come. Teachers should remain up to date on the latest technology releases of tools to accommodate to their lesson plans.

                         

The meaning of "Teacher"

Being a teacher means that one is accountable for the well-being of their students and the education they receive. What the child will accomplish in the classroom is a result of how the teacher teaches his/her material. This infers that today’s teachers have to be multilevel teachers who can teach to fit different learning styles of students. Students should be able to carry out work that they have learned independently, as well as sociable mannerisms they will need in life. Taking time out to make sure each student understands the material is extremely important and is the teacher’s responsibility. The student will depend on the teacher to deliver the lesson, and it is the teacher’s duty to help them receive the lesson the best way possible. This includes high stakes testing which will determine how much of the material students have retained. If the teacher fails to do so, the students will too. It is very important for the teacher to take care of their students and guide them through school and learning as they would their own.

       

                                             Timeline Challenge

Alright its time for a challenge! Every Friday, I will post an activity that I challenge all my readers to complete. My first challenge post is to complete a timeline of events that you want to successfully complete before you graduate. I had to complete a timeline of events for one off my courses that I absolutely needed to complete before I graduated college, and I still follow that timeline to this day. It is a great way to stay organized and  keep up with task that need to be completed throughout your college career. It can be a short term timeline or a long term timeline. This summer I created a long term timeline for the 2016-2017 school year. On it I have the dates that I aim to take my certification test, my student teaching dates, dates to go to job fairs, etc. there is a lot you can do with a timeline and they are extremely helpful in setting goals and deadlines. I challenge you to set goals on a timeline and strive to complete those goals before on on the date that you set to complete it. Let me know in the comments what you all think about my '' Time for a Challenge" post!

                                                              Mini Lesson Ideas

          Mini lessons are really great to start off the morning for class. I created this mini lesson for during my teaching of Plot structure to my students. It can be used for any topic. The instructor would just have to incorporate his/her topic into the lesson.

Mini Lesson: Students will gather on the floor in rows to have a clear view of the lesson being presented. The teacher will open up the lesson by asking students questions about what they know or have heard about plot structure to promote interaction between students. Teacher will let students give their opinions on the topic without answering or adding on to any comments. This is the prediction stage. When finished, the teacher will then make an anchor chart on plot structure and explain to students what plot structure is, the components of a plot structure (exposition, Rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution) and its definition, how to find each component, and how to fill out a plot structure chart. The teacher will then leave the chart on the board and will read the book “The Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes. While reading, the teacher should stop at points in the book to discuss events with the class to ensure student’s comprehension. After reading teacher should guide students as they attempt to fill out a plot structure chart on the board. Teacher should have class work together to discuss what events should go on each section in the chart.