I have been dreaming of becoming a teacher for as long as I can remember. I had a choice when I was entering college, to take up Behavioral Science, or Education. I took up Behavioral Science, because I thought the curriculum of the Education course looked like I was going to high school all over again. I have no regrets though, because graduating with a course in Psychology helped me in how I deal with different people in different situations.
Finally taking a step towards my life-long dream, I enrolled in UP. Fast forward to today, I am a few days away from getting my Certificate on Professional Teaching. To say that it has been an easy road would be a lie. It has been a short few months of intense schooling. I have learned a lot and I know there is still more to learn.
Teaching is not something that you instantly become good at, it takes a lot of passion, patience, hard work and the hunger to keep on learning. Being a teacher is a very fulfilling job as you get to be part of your students’ lives. You become an inspiration to a lot of people and you get to make an impact on on their lives that can change the way they think, they act, and how they go on about their daily lives.
I have been teaching kids dance for a couple of years now, and going through the course, I have learned different ways of how I can make my classes more engaging and interesting and that caters to all kinds of learners.
Learning the concepts from this course has been very helpful for me as I am dealing with kids who have special learning abilities. Learning about creativity, and differentiated instruction and methods of learning has helped me think about the way I have been teaching and dealing with my students. After my classes, I ask my co-teachers of dance how they think I can improve on my craft and help them with their classes as well. It is a small Learning Community, but it has helped me become better in what I love doing.
I believe that having a good grasp of your craft, whatever it is you are teaching, will make it easier for you to think of different ways on how you can approach your lessons. Having a clear understanding of the different abilities and learning capacities of your students also helps you construct your lesson plans and teaching methods that will better suit them and help in creating a more effective and memorable learning experience both for you and for your students as well.
Plans for the future include taking up teaching workshops, and taking up SPED and inclusive learning. I want to be able to deepen my knowledge and develop the skills that I will need to teach kids with special learning needs.
In two years’ time, I plan to put up a dance and art school that will cater to all kinds of learners. I want to be able to teach dance to young kids, to older people, to individual’s with learning disabilities, to students who are physically challenged.
I have a long way to go and a lot more to learn. Nearing the end of the course, I am motivated more than ever to keep learning in order for me to reach my goals.
This is just the beginning of my teaching journey, and I am glad that last year I finally took that step into reaching my dreams.
missladydazha 