A taste of our weekly journal

The opportunity to have fieldwork and time to reflect on the experiences in the field is a luxury that has been a critical influence in my growth as a prospective teacher. More importantly, it has allowed me to tackle one of my greatest fears of becoming a teacher: classroom management.

I came into the program with great enthusiasm but I was still afraid and worried I might not have the skills to manage a classroom. I was afraid of my classroom becoming the stereotypical image of an urban school where students do what they wish. Yet, with such fear, I knew the only way to learn was to immerse myself and stay confident with my skills.

After several weeks of placement, my fear of classroom management has started to become a lost thought. Many of times, I believe, development is seen as trying to acquire as many ideas and lessons to incorporate in the classroom. It is the idea of having a treasure chest full of lessons plans and activities in order to combat poor classroom management. What I have come to learn is that classroom management starts at a more fundamental approach to teaching. Although, creative lesson plans are great to have, the ability to manage a classroom begins with the genuine motivations of the teacher.

As one teacher told me, kids are good bullshit detectors. In my observations, the teachers that have great classroom management exhibit and demonstrate a genuine concern for their students and put forth effort to their practice.