Clare Thomas (Cxt6480)
Junior Member
Username: Cxt6480
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, October 04, 2008 - 9:52 am: |       |
As a second-year, younger teacher I have found that one of the most difficult things to do is establish yourself, not only with your students but with your coworkers as well. In terms of interacting with my students, I feel as though being young has its advantages and disadvantages. The positive side is that for the most part, students respond to me well because they feel as though they can relate to me. Especially in the health classroom, I feel like they actually listen to what I have to say (probably because I recently graduated from college and they figure that I must know what I'm talking about in terms of decision making, drugs and alcohol, relationships, etc.) However, the negative side to this is that there is always a fine line between the "cool" teacher and a "friend". I'm sure that I am not the only young teacher that has struggled to find a happy-medium somewhere in between.
I have also experienced difficulty establishing myself with my coworkers as well. I think that as a Health & PE teacher, I'm already at a disadvantage because many regular classroom teachers lack respect for our profession. I live by the "actions speak louder than words" motto, so I am hopeful that they will gain respect for me and recognize the importance of my class as they see the positive things that come from both. If anyone has any other ideas, recommendations, or experiences the same thing - please feel free to contribute! |
