Blog #5

    First of all, I personally resonated with the tip about establishing relationships with your students. It's so true that if you make an effort to learn about and connect with your students, they will be much more likely to be engaged and motivated. Also, I think it's very important that there is so much focus on classroom management techniques. Having a good strategy for addressing disruptions and creating a positive learning environment is absolutely vital for not only your own survival but for your students' success as well. Finally, I appreciated the tip about leaning on your coworkers. Teaching can be very challenging, and it would be a big help to have a cohort of seasoned teachers you can turn to for advice and support.

    On the other hand, some of the tips seemed a bit too universal or perhaps old-fashioned. For instance, some sources advised dedicating an awful lot of time to decorating the classroom. While having an attractive atmosphere within a classroom can be desirable, I believe that more can be accomplished by working on developing relationships and engaging in activities. Sometimes decorating can be overwhelming to some students, so it's super beneficial to think of things a majority of the class would enjoy and what would create a creative environment, but not over the top. Moreover, some tips on ‘being strict’ seemed slightly old-fashioned. I believe that it’s necessary and vital to maintain proper guidelines and limitations; on the other hand, it is also fundamental to remain flexible.

    As for what I would like more information about, I would be very interested in hearing about new ways that I can incorporate technology into my classroom. Rather than merely wanting to learn ways that I can incorporate more and more technology, I would love to learn ways that I can use it effectively. I think that hearing how other students want to incorporate things into a classroom has honestly benefited me quite a bit in these classes. It's always so cool to see how many ideas students can have.

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