Life of a Teacher

Taking over my mentor teacher’s responsibilities and classes for a day was rough. At the end of the day I was drained and exhausted. My mentor teacher teaches Afrikaans for grade 5, 6 and 7, she also does not have a break or lunch break every single day. This was difficult to manage because if I had to go to the bathroom, I had to ask another teacher to look after the class. However I quickly got used to the amount of work and became more effect.

Completing the day in the life of a teacher in block 1 was much more difficult than in block 2. In block 2 I was used to the amount the work, I knew where everything was, I knew what to do when the learners were disruptive and could focus on teaching. I also knew all the responsibilities that my teacher had whereas in block 1 I still need her assistance frequently.

The activities that were the most challenging for me were the number of classes and grades I had to teach. Some classes had a triple period, which meant I had to teach one class for over an hour and a half, the learners struggled to focus for this amount of time but I overcame this by making the lessons interesting, giving them short breaks in between as well as letting them go outside for a short break. Another challenge was that some days I had so much class I had to eat my lunch in class because her timetable was fully booked.

I would definitely rate myself higher than what I did in the first block, my knowledge on how to pace a lesson, the sequence and how to provide for learners needs has greatly improved. My knowledge on the curriculum and how to develop appropriate activities has also improved. I have also learned to reflect critically to ensure I continue to learn and grow as a teacher.

When I compare myself to the beginning of my teaching experience, I would say that I am not the same person anymore. I have learned and gain so much experience that I will be able to walk into a class without feeling nervous and being able to deliver a great lesson. I am much better at adapting my lessons to ensure I can meet the needs of my learners. I also have the confidence to know that I can present a great lesson and can manage a classroom. I also know that I will also try and improve and become a better version of myself.