Summary
- A typical day in the life of a teacher
- Strategies to teach
Hello, yes, I am a teacher. The very profession you call noble. This noble profession comes with its own highs and lows making it the most interesting profession I have been associated with.
Well, you might think that every profession has its own highs and lows, but what if I tell you that a teacher’s profession has highs and lows almost every day.
It is not like a quarterly event or an annual event. It’s like I am sitting on a roller coaster every day!
Teacher Daily Routine
Let me explain what I mean, by detailing just a single day in my life as a teacher. A day in the life of a teacher.
1. The Rush Hour
I get up in the morning like any other parent. The cooking, the breakfast, the lunch boxes for the family. Oh! I forgot to mention, teachers have families too.
So, a day in the life of a teacher starts like any other parents’ rush hour. The difference is, we can’t be a minute late to work because that would mean, we lose our right to shout at students who arrive late.
I grab my bag and dash for the door. With a hundred thoughts running in my mind, I almost forget why I am rushing out of the door in the first place.
2. The Wait
I finally reach my bus stop where I expect my bus to be waiting for me, but that is never the case. I have to wait for the king to arrive.
A teacher’s daily routine includes the wait. At the bus stop, I meet some of my school kids waiting to catch the same bus.
Good morning, ma’am. Good morning, ma’am. I keep my morning fresh look and smile to wish my wonderful kids a very good morning, even though my head is still reeling with a million thoughts.
I know you’re wondering what thoughts are going on in my head. Here goes… you asked for it.
I have to mark attendance quicker than yesterday. It’s Varun’s turn for show and tell today. Did I turn the stove off at home? What debate topic can I suggest for the EVS class today? How many days do I have to correct the students’ examination answer sheets?
Maybe I can organize a fun game for the third-grade students today. Can I make multiplication and division more interesting for my students?
So the teachers’ routines and procedures are already working in the mind even before the day starts.
3. Time to Haunt the Classroom
I have reached the classroom and I suddenly turn into a tyrant. My sweet fresh Good morning look at the bus stop suddenly turns into a stern Good morning, ready to pounce on anyone who steps out of line.
If you are wondering why I have suddenly become stern, it is because I have to remind myself that I am a teacher and I have 25 kids now.
4. Settle Down, Settle Down
Once my kids are all settled down in their seats I have to open up my four sets of eyes that keep vigilance in all four directions-north, south, east, and west.
Every teacher’s daily routine requires the proper functioning of these powerful sets of eyes.
5. Unity
My role in a classroom is not only to teach but to unite the students from different cultural backgrounds and homes.
I have to be a parent to each of these students while they are in my classroom. Some students may have had a bad day at home or such a great day that they would want to share their experiences with their friends.
I allow everyone to interact with one another and share their joys and sorrows if they want to. While allowing students to interact, I am in fact encouraging personality development on a wider scale.
Also, many students are slightly more difficult to handle than others. I try to understand each one of these students and try to bring them into the fold.
6. My Preparation Is Tested
Once I begin my daily lessons for the day, all the preparation I did the previous night at home comes to light. This is how I prepare for my lessons:
- Plan the Lesson – I plan each lesson beforehand. For example, if I am teaching the lesson “Our Solar system,” I read the lesson from the coursebook and supplement my reading with a bit of internet research. This expands my knowledge far beyond the syllabus and in turn, allows my students to explore beyond the prescribed textbooks.
- Gather Study Material and Props– A teacher’s routine necessarily involves gathering all the study material and props that are associated with the lesson. I collect extra pictures or images that can widen the scope of imagination for my students.
- Comprehension Evaluation– As part of a teacher’s routines and procedures I chalk out an evaluation sheet. I distribute these sheets after my lesson to understand the level of comprehension of the day’s lesson. If I find that a majority of the students have not fared well in the evaluation sheet, I know that I have to repeat the lesson using a different methodology.
7. Each Student Is Different
As a teacher for many years, I have come to realize that each student is different. Each student comes from different background and with different learning capabilities.
From my experience, I have come across 3 different types of student learners
- Look at me type of students – These students know their answers and always want to be chosen for activities. They are usually at the forefront when it comes to academics.
- I know it but prefer to remain quiet– These kinds of students are happy with their books and scoring great marks in examinations. However, they prefer to remain quiet and dormant during classroom activities
- Don’t look at me – Another kind of student you experience in a day in the life of a teacher is the “don’t look at me” type of student. These students don’t make an effort to learn the day’s lesson or even make an attempt.
8. Teaching Strategies
While on my teacher routine in the classroom, I employ two modes of teaching strategies.
- Teaching point of view – From a teacher’s point of view, I always employ teacher-centered methods. This includes traditional methods of teaching. Some may say that this mode of teaching is outdated, but personally, I feel that this mode of teaching still works. It has worked for centuries and will work in the future too.
- Student’s point of view – Having said that, I also believe that a blend of the traditional and modern methods will work wonders with students. From the student’s point of view, I try to bring creativity and innovation into the class so that the students are given an opportunity to explore.
9. End of School Is Just the Beginning of My Day
While all my students are packing up for the day, my day starts. This is when I do my research and preparation for the lessons I have to take the next day.
I chalk out my timetable and try to bring in some creative ideas for the next day’s lessons.
A teacher’s routine, as you may understand it, is 8 hours. However, in reality, a teacher’s routine is a 24-hour job. Round the clock.
Preparation takes more time than teaching the actual lesson. A lot of effort goes into doing the groundwork for lessons, emphasizing concepts, and at the same time making it fun and interesting for my students.
A day in the life of a classroom teacher does not end with interactions between a teacher and student. It also involves interactions with the parents of students.
For every parent, their child is special. For every teacher, all their students are special. Interacting and dealing with different parents is also a job in itself.
Meeting the expectations of parents is huge task teachers are faced with every day. While interacting with parents, teachers must be polite and at the same time stern in order to get the message across.
I am sure you are exhausted just reading a typical day in the life of a teacher. However, it is pertinent to mention that though my day is hectic and busy, I will never trade my profession for anything in this world.
Teaching for me is the noblest profession on earth. I regard myself as the sculptor of my students’ future.
Conclusion
Teaching is one of the easy ways to keep learning. As a teacher, I keep learning new things every day from my students and interactions during the day.
I know for sure that my students look up to me and respect me throughout. Even after they graduate, my students show respect when they meet me.
It is an honor to see my students do so well in their lives. I feel I am partly responsible for their success. To teach is to touch a life forever.
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