JANUARY
14TH 2015
Today
was my first PRACTICUM class for Semester 2 of my second year of study. I was a
bit anxious about this class because I would now be sitting under a new
lecturer. Who would it be? How would they teach? Are they going to inspire me
to continue pursuing my dream? Or would they make me feel incompetent? I was
anxious to meet my new lecturer, but I was not excited about the change.
I
must admit that one of my weaknesses is dealing with change. I know it is an
inevitable part of life, and I learnt early in life that a sign of maturity is
one’s ability to deal with change. However, my first Practicum lecturer won my
respect in a way few people have, and I could not fathom replacing her.
God
has a sense of humour: as I stepped into my new class and saw my lecturer, I
almost made an about turn to go home. Why? Because I saw before me the one
teacher who I despised from my former school days. A teacher who repeatedly
broke my spirit. My heart sank, but I spoke to myself and I resolved to act
maturely. Much to my relief, my new lecturer was not who I thought she
was………………..however, her physical appearance and manner of speech bore
remarkable similarities. This first class was additionally difficult for me because
I had to keep trying to brush aside unpleasant experiences which the sight of
this teacher revived in me. From this experience I learnt how difficult it may
be for students to respond positively to a teacher who may possess
characteristics which remind children of persons who have caused them pain.
By
the conclusion of the class, I felt a sense of relief. My lecturer spoke to us
from the heart about her background in teaching and her passion in teaching. I
felt a connection to her based on what she shared. She also allowed each
student to share a personal experience, and she used our stories to help
encourage and build us emotionally. She displayed respect and empathy
consistently. For me, this was very important because I realized that she was
practicing the qualities of an effective teacher. She led by example.
My
lecturer also imparted her high expectations of professionalism for us as
teachers in training. One area that I needed to improve is that of my physical
dress or appearance. I have not paid as much attention to my outward image as I
should, but I left class that day recognizing that I have some homework to do
in terms of portraying a professional image. It is an important part of my
professional deportment. If I am serious about being at the “top of my game,”
then I need to take all things into consideration.
Finally,
this lecturer reminded me how to be effective without the use of electronic
technology. There was no projector or multimedia resource in sight, yet the
class was completely engaging. This spoke volumes to me because somehow I got
the impression that one was guilty of committing “academic instructional
sacrilege” if one dared to deliver a lesson without the use of computer
technology.
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