My first year of teaching has been a balance of true extremes.
I have the great benefit of being able to gain experience as a regular classroom teacher and a teacher-on-call. My assignment at Delta Secondary allows me to work part time and every other day I am available at the beck and call of the substituting world.
Both have its great benefits –
My time at Delta Secondary has allowed me to grow and learn as a first-year teacher. I have two classes that, despite challenges, or rather, because of these challenges, make me continually reflect. These two classes could not be more different. Being exposed to opposite ends of the spectrum has been a wonderful benefit because without one class, I couldn’t appreciate the other. When the loud, rowdy class is acting up, I appreciate the quiet and reserved bunch. When they become resistant to volunteer and speak up in front of the class, I look forward to the group who cannot wait to speak in front of their peers. Slowly, I’ve learned to not compare or wish one was like the other because each have their own uniqueness and individuality, just like each student in my classes.
This exposure to extremes is similar to having my own class and my experience as a TOC. Being a substitute teacher, or a glorified baby-sitter as some may call it, has given me great benefits and I’ve learned a lot from it. No prep, no marking (although I enjoy marking) and if you have prior commitments, it is just as easy to decline the job and go about the day. Teaching with no strings attached in many cases. However, it is difficult to be in a strange classroom and have students walk in and call out to their friends, “Yeah! We have a sub!” There have been occasions where at the end of a day, being in a strange school and a strange classroom, I yearn to be back with my own students and for that I am so appreciative.
Without my regular class, I could not appreciate my role as a TOC. However, with the transitory nature of a job as a TOC, I truly cherish the opportunities I have been given to create these precious relationships with my students. Without one, I could not appreciate the other.
With these differences, I admire appreciate and respect the field of teaching even further and hope to continue to keep these extremes in mind when I may feel out of balance.
The rewards of working with a regular group of students are unlike anything else. Only those of us who are and have been fortunate enough to have been in this role truly understand and appreciate the satisfaction that 'teaching' brings with it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I always find that I derive the greatest satisfaction from working through the biggest challenges. The ultimate challenge is finding ways to get all of our students learning up to their potential.
The strategies each of us chooses to employ in order to meet these challenges can be quite different depending on the student and the teacher. Ultimately however, our successes usually come back to one fundamental commonality...RELATIONSHIPS. Unfortunately, in a profession where we rely so heavily on building relationships with our students, TOC'ing rarely affords us that opportunity.
I thank you for continuing to share your thoughts and experiences through your blog. Although it has not been long since I was in the classroom, I always appreciate being reminded of the challenges and successes experienced by those in the classroom everyday.
Aaron