Web Wonder #1

I would like to start this weeks reflection by saying that reading Paul R. Vaughn's "Effective Teaching: notes for an effective teacher" was exactly what I needed to see at this point in time. I have been worrying lately that my preparation is good enough. Good enough for my mentors and peers, good enough for my future students, good enough to be an ag teacher. As I prepare for student teaching, I am rapidly transitioning from "fantasy" to "survival" in Wong's 4 stages of teaching. The time to dream about being a great teacher is over, it's time to do it, and this daunting task is a source of worry.

"The bad news is that developing these characteristics.. like many things.. is not easy". 

I have been caught up in the feelings of "I don't know what I don't know". All this leads me up to opening up Vaughn. It was like someone said "Hey Nate, here are 10 characteristics to work on!" and then they said "don't worry, we know that it is not easy, but research says it will be worth it". I examined the 10 points in front of me. They are:

Clarity
Variability
Enthusiasm
Task Oriented/Business-Like Behavior
Positive Reinforcement
Student Opportunity to Learn
Avoided Criticism
Structuring Comments
Effective Questioning
Humor

In that list I see areas where I feel comfortable, such as Effective Questioning, Enthusiasm, and Humor. I also see areas where I need work, such as Clarity (specifically the organisation and preparation in order to be clear). I also gained ideas to help myself improve in what I lack, such as the T-chart.
 
In conclusion, my current thoughts of my #teachag journey are: I know I have a long way to go. I need to improve my organisation and time managements. I know I have the passion (or else I wouldn't still be here) and now it's time to let that passion put my nose to the grind stone. I'm committed to celebrating the small successes this semester and not letting mistakes get me down to much. It's go time.