"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

What an excellent piece! I really enjoyed reading this post by Mr. McClung. I felt like he had several good points to share with educators. As an educator myself, I could relate to him on all of these points. I was in total agreement with him when he addressed the fact that we, as teachers, tend to worry more about how we will be evaluated or assessed by our peers and superiors that we loose touch with our students. It is always nice to hear what a teacher has truly learned from the first year of being in the classroom. That first year can be so overwhelming and stressful. I think it is wonderful that he is taking what he learned, and sharing it with everyone. I hope new teachers out there will be willing to listen to his advice, and implement it into their own teaching career. It could make such an impact on the teacher's success as well as the student's.

He had many good points that will help educators become more effective in their classrooms. My favorite was "Being Flexible." He stated that no lesson plan is ever "perfect," and that we should not stress out when there are mistakes. I agree with him and believe that we should learn from those mistakes to improve the lesson. We should believe the same in the same thing that we teach our students, "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again!" Another good point he made was on communication. I am a firm believer in communicating with my students, parents, and co-workers. It may appear to be easy, but it can prove to be difficult on several occasions. However, this does build a strong foundation for our students so I believe communication should be a main priority for all educators.

Another good point Mr. McClung made was to "Be Reasonable." We should never set the expectations so high that it seems impossible for our students to reach. Yes, we should set goals for them, but we should make sure the goals are fair and attainable. We should not scold them for any unmet goals, yet encourage them to keep trying harder to reach them. I also loved the point he made on listening to our students. As a teacher, you may be the ONLY one who DOES LISTEN to them. I feel that this is a crucial point to make with all educators. If they don't get anything else from you, they will know you cared for them because you took the time to listen. Last, I felt that another good point made was to always continue in your own personal learning. This motivates and encourages students to learn when they see you setting the example for them. I encourage every teacher out there whether new or experienced to read Mr. McClung comments which can be found at http://is.gd/2c012.