I really enjoyed re-reading my letter to New Teacher Café
from last year. I think it really sums the year up for me from a first year
teacher’s perspective. I think we should make a rule that, no matter where we
are in our career, we always write a letter at the end of the year to solidify
any problems and any progress in the year. Re-reading my letter means that I
don’t forget the lessons I learnt so consciously last year; there really is
value in recognising the growth that we make and codifying it, rather than
leaving it to dissolve in our minds over the years. This is reflection; it is
the most useful tool to me, one I have not used enough this year. When I
re-read my letter from last year, I realise that there are lessons that I
learnt about myself, really valuable lessons, which I have already forgotten
simply because I haven’t been teaching the same age group. I will be so
grateful to have those reminders in the future.
When I think back onto my 2013 year, I realise that it was
defined a lot by my being a house director. I am pleased
with myself because I think I managed to complete the task fairly well, despite
my inexperience. There were challenges and things that I learnt about myself
through the process.
As a leader, it is necessary to give instructions. By virtue
of us being placed in the position of being a teacher/house director, we are
bestowed with a certain authority. I do think that discipline and respect are
some of the most difficult things that new teachers struggle with, and I was
placed into a situation where I had to learn strategies quickly to be effective.
I think that if we approach situations with a belief that we have that
authority, then students will respond to you in that way. And so, as we mature
into our positions, we start to believe that we have that authority, and as
such, students respond to it. On the whole, if we expect students to behave in
a certain way, and communicate that to them clearly, then they will behave in
that way (there are obviously some exceptions to that!)
Another thing I learnt while in my role as a house director
is that it is not the role for me right now. I enjoyed parts of it, but I feel
like my career path needs to go in a slightly different direction. I feel
relief when I consider that I won’t be the house director of Mokgatle next
year. This has nothing to do with the job, but rather a lot to do with my
personality fitting in to the job.
On the note of considering careers, another existential
crisis I had this year was that I was forced to give my teaching career path
some serious scrutiny this year. I was not always going to be a teacher, but
these 2 years at Lebone have given me the freedom to realise that I actually do
really love being a teacher (although, all I really know is that I enjoy being
a Lebone teacher). When I sometimes
doubt that it is what I want to do, I have to remind myself of the parts of
being a teacher that I enjoy; my job is heavily dependent on human
relationships, I am touching so many young lives, I enjoy getting to know young
people and telling them the stories of my subject. I enjoy the challenge of
making abstract and complex topics understandable and accessible. I enjoy being
the boss in my classroom and having the idiosyncrasies and silly rules that
apply in my classes only. I enjoy the academic and intellectual pursuits, I
always have. Anyway, after these considerations, I have decided to stay a
teacher at the most appropriate time in my life to stop being a teacher (as I am
moving cities) which means I will always be a teacher. In some form or another,
I think that I will always be a teacher.
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