For a long time my biggest goal was to become a teacher. Now that I have reached that goal, I realize I have goals that go beyond teaching young children and I aspire to one day become a teacher educator. I believe there are three areas I should focus on in order to be prepared for this step in my career. These areas include, learning more about and implementing behavior intervention, one day mentoring a student teacher, and becoming involved in planning or developing curriculum for English Language Arts (ELA). The reason I have my heart set on becoming an educator for prospective teachers is because I believe with the experience and understanding of what it is like teaching young children, I can set up other teachers for success in teaching the hundreds or thousands of students they will encounter in their career. I believe this path will offer me the same fulfillment that I search for everyday, and I think these specific areas of focus will assist me in that journey. The areas of focus I will describe will support me in becoming an expert on important topics for future teachers, and give me a chance to mentor a student teacher.
Behavior Intervention
Behavior challenges seem to be the biggest concerns of teachers everywhere. I imagine if I can become more proficient in this area that will give me more to offer future teachers, as I know how important that was for me as a teacher in training, and still is now as someone in their fourth year of teaching. Because best practices can change rapidly, I would like to stay up to date with current research and strategies involving behavior interventions and I think the best way to do that is to actively participate in professional development dedicated to this topic. Oakland County Schoolsoffers professional learning for teachers that touch on this. Some examples of professional learning that is offered this school year are, zones of regulation, managing school refusal, and non-violent crisis intervention. Another resource that could be helpful is Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS). This program implements a multi-tiered framework for social, emotional, and behavior support. If I stay committed to regularly engage in professional development on behavior intervention, it will help me become a better teacher and therefore better prepare me to become a teacher educator.
Mentoring Student Teachers
In order to take on the challenge of educating future teachers, experience in mentoring is essential. Not only will it be a chance for me to pay it forward in regards to the mentors that have helped me, but it will also be a valuable experience as a hopeful teacher educator. Of course I have an idea of how I would like to approach being a mentor teacher once that day comes, but I know there are things I will need to keep in mind. This article from TeacherReady, written by Gayle Furlow, lists phases that new teachers go through in their first year and I think this is a great resource for me as a reminder as to what a student teacher is struggling with and things that I take for granted. I remember when I was a student teacher, one of the most cathartic things that helped me was discussing my experiences with fellow interns. It was daunting to be surrounded by great teachers who knew what they were doing, and it felt great to converse with others who also felt like there was a lifetime of things to learn. Reminding myself what I used to feel like as a student teacher, will help me in being a successful mentor.
Curriculum Development and Planning
Although I admit this is not a topic of interest for me, becoming involved in curriculum planning or development will give me a valuable expertise that I can pass on to my teaching students. Reading and writing is something that I feel passionately about, and I’ve always thought if I were to join a committee dedicated to curriculum I would choose one for ELA. However, because of recent world events that have resulted in many students being taught online, I believe there is value in the planning and development of a virtual curriculum. To learn more about this I could attend the professional learning session offered by Oakland County Schools in November about reinventing curriculum to better suit virtual learning.