Phillips EDM310 Blog Number 9

Mr. McClung essay was very well done and transmitted feelings of happiness, surprise, and understanding. It was a real pleasure to read and comment on his blog. He was telling us that we must not let ourselves get set in our ways as teachers for something will always come around and ruin our perfect lessons that we have planned. Also we must be friends to our children, for they will depend on us even if we do not think they are paying us any attention right now. It is like I have always said, we will impact children, but it will happen over time and the children will remember us later on in life when they need it the most. Also the most important thing I took away form this was the fact that we as teachers need to be more understanding of the children in our classes and to not get upset at them when they do not exceed our expectations. Communication is the most important tool for teacher and student relationships too. We must learn to put ourselves in our student's shoes. Only then can we begin to understand the way they think and act. Lastly we as teachers must continue to learn about everything around us, for how can we teach our students if we are scared and standoffish from this new technology. As Mr. McClung Stated "We work in a learning environment, so why not soak up as much as you can? We owe it to our students." A teacher who cannot keep up with the times and who doesn't care about their children should not be teaching. I say this only because so many children depend on us every day to help them over their own hurdles. Very well said Mr. McClung our students are why we are here.

We must also learn that technology is a friend and will always be here with us. Being a friend is also the way our students will perceive us. I have a good example. (My second grade teacher would go out of her way to help me and she was always taking the time to make sure everyone in our class knew and understood the subjects before we left her class every day. Even if it meant she had to stay an extra hour or two she did not care and done it with a smile.) This is what I remember about Mrs. Kelly and she displayed all the characteristics that Mr. McClung went over in his blog. She would never get upset and never got irritated even when we did not catch on as quickly as she had hoped. This is what I remember of her today and I will use the good qualities of all my entire past teacher's who have meant something to me. I can only hope that I will be able live up to the high standards of my students. I have also set goals for myself as a teacher that include making long term friendships with my children, and it will fill me with happiness to know I have changed my children's lives for the better down the road.