Zachary Bryan

Field Placement Reflection

1. Be resilient - Things will go wrong. You have to be able to take these things in stride and

be able to come out on top as a better person. Scheduling conflicts happen, students act

up, etc. Being able to keep cool during these events is crucial.

2. Classrooms aren’t “traditional” anymore - When I was in school, class was always “sit

down, listen to the teacher talk, take notes, go home and do homework, rinse and repeat.”

The classrooms I observed during this semester were not like this. Both classes were very

student focused. They knew what they should be doing, and they were trusted to be able

to complete what is tasked to them with little instruction. The teachers in both of my

classes essentially served as peacekeepers and not direct instructors, during my time

there.

3. Students should have tools available to teach themselves - Students are perfectly capable

of taking small bits of information and assimilating it into knowledge of a topic. Given

tools such as the internet and measuring tools, having the students discover information

for themselves has a very high probability to stick in their minds more permanently than

just lecturing at them for an hour at a time.

4. All students aren’t comfortable in the same environments - Knowing from experience,

some students are not comfortable in group settings; some are not comfortable in testing

environments; the list goes on. It is a mark of a good teacher to recognize when a student

is struggling in specific situations and trying to accommodate them.

5. Students should be able to bring their own flair to assignments - Specifically to projects

and study assignments. Allowing students to submit videos versus written assignments

can be very beneficial to both the teacher and the student. Students can have more

creative freedom and this can make them feel like their creative outlets are valid, and
 Zachary Bryan
Field Placement Reflection
teachers can have an easier time grading, for instance, videos or songs, versus having to

read dozens of papers.

6. Teachers are human and flawed - This isn’t so much a new lesson learned, but a

reaffirmation. We all forget things, we all make mistakes. Being able to own up to your

mistakes in the face of an upset student or parent can make or break you.

7. Form meaningful relationships with your students - You have to be able to form

relationships with your students in order for them to be excited to come into class and be

excited to learn. If students see you as trustworthy and if they know you have their best

interests at heart, they may be more receptive to taking in what you are trying to teach.

8. Form meaningful relationships with your fellow teachers - Having relationships with

your fellow teachers pretty important as well. PLTs can be very useful in a multitude of

ways, such as collaborating on assignments, and having a general release valve for stress.

9. Passion is the most important thing for a teacher to have - Everyone knows that having a

teacher that is just phoning it in for the paycheck is awful. Being able to always inspire

your students is very important because students have so much on their plate as it is that

it is inevitable that some students will be bored with certain classes. Having passion in

your subject can help to keep students interested.

10. Be active in the community - Getting your name and face out in the public eye in a

positive way is very key. Parents will get to know that you are passionate about what you

are doing and know that you have the community’s best interests as your best interests as

well.