Educators contribute to the profession.
As a new teacher, I am learning every day. My goal is to make a positive contribution to the profession of teaching. I learned from my first two practicums the importance and value of sharing materials. My CTs were generous with sharing ideas for lessons with me. I was So far, I have tried to share my learning with other teachers in several ways.
First, during the my time as a Teacher Candidate, I have shared ideas and lesson plans with my cohort. I think we all benefited from the free exchange of ideas.
Second, in my 10-week practicum, I participated in a co-teaching experience, meaning I prepared lessons for two classes of Grade 2/3 students. I always prepared and shared my materials with the other teacher well-ahead of the actual lesson. One of my Units was World Cultures, and I invited the other teacher and her students to experience a presentation on Diwali. On another day, I invited both classes to participate in a STEM exercise. I think it is important to be open to sharing lesson plans and ideas for lesson plans with others in the school community, for the act of collaboration makes us all better.
Third, when asked to share my materials with other instructors and other teaching communities, I always said, “Yes.” It is an honour to share my work. I hope that others benefit from my contributions. I think the teaching community is wealthier when we are open to sharing our ideas.
Finally, I always enjoy Pro-D opportunities. For example, I really enjoyed a session on brain activities https://brainahead.net/blog/stimulate-this-nerve-to-strengthen-your-stress-response. Pro-D gives me the chance to gather ideas for teaching. I find that after a Pro-D session, I have a lot of energy to prepare my own lesson plans.
Being part of the teaching community is a privilege, and I hope that I can be a positive contributor.