Mackenzie

I thought I had teaching figured out when I walked into class. Teaching was all about the kids, and if you just believed in your kids you could teach effectively... right? As we went along and learned more strategies to utilize in our teaching, I found that I did not, in fact, have teaching figured out. In fact, it was kind of difficult and complex - you can't just walk into the classroom with some optimism and expect a Hollywood storyline and ending. It takes hard work and dedication and - yes - even belief that your students can achieve any goal. I always thought of teaching as an idealistic and sort of ethereal profession that teachers just got the hang of because it was within them. That's just not true. It's how you teach and invest in your students on a daily basis, in the nitty gritty, how you grow professionally and engage with your audience that shows what kind of teacher you are. I'm still learning the details, but I'm on the right track to understanding the way to grow into an effective teacher.