What I've Learned This Year

Mr. McClung offers a lot of good advise for teachers on his blog: At the Teacher's Desk. In one particular blog, What I've learned this Year, he gives some very helpful tips to future teachers by giving a list of things that he learned during his first year of teaching. His list of things that he has learned includes: how to read the crowd, be flexible, communicate, be reasonable, don't be afraid of technology, listen to your students, and never stop learning. I completely agree with most of what Mr. McClung said in his blog. One thing that I do not agree with him on is being reasonable. As teachers we are supposed to set the bar high so that our students will work harder. I understand that some students will try harder than others but that doesn't mean that we should set the bar lower so that all students can reach the goal. If all students do reach the goal then the bar has not been set high enough because the students have only learned the minimum that they need to know in order to achieve your goal. My classroom management teacher taught that if you set low expectations for your students, you will keep them from achieving high standards. So, I think ALL teachers need to set high standards for their students so that the students will set high standards for themselves. I agree that teachers can't be afraid of technology because it seems like technology is taking over the world. His last point, I think, is the best one: NEVER STOP LEARNING!