Observation and Feedback (Week Five)

After conducting several mini teaching lessons, areas of growth that I need to develop in order to be a more effective teacher with this group of students are the following:

• Confidence

Having confidence will only improve a teacher's worth and their overall effectiveness. It is a key component of being successful. Students in particular quickly pick up on a lack of self confidence and use that to tear a teacher down even further. Lack of self confidence will eventually wear away at a teacher and force them into a different career path. 

Confidence is something that cannot be faked, but it is something that can be built. It can make all the difference in the world in how effective a teacher is. There is no perfect formula because every person has their own unique level of confidence. Some teachers do not require their confidence to be boosted at all while others, like myself, need some additional attention. I have always struggled at being confident in myself. I have a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best and I look too closely at what others think.

I have continued to work really hard this semester at building my confidence up. Each and every new day tests my confidence and sometimes I end up surprising myself on how well I do. For example, if I know a great deal of what is being discussed, the chances are that my confidence is quite high. Even if I am not confident with the material, I try my best to make sense of it in my mind and just go with it. 

• Projection

I tend to be very soft spoken and told that I need to improve my "teacher voice." I need to work on my approach. Frankly, this suggestion did not come to me as a surprise. Just by telling someone to yell does not solve the problem of projection. Similarly, just speaking louder does not create a powerful voice. I have been given some advice and feedback for the successful components of a powerful sound. The components include personality, passion, and a strong vocal physique. 

Personality is "you" and the unique gifts you share with your audience. Personality is the unique imprint your thought leaves on your voice, making it distinguishable from other voices and revealing things about your particular experiences and perspectives. Who you are is in your voice for all to hear. I have been told I have a very warming personality and I am very approachable to speak to. 

Passion is the power of intention aligned with content and personality. When a speaker is passionate, they seem authentic and genuine. If your intention is unclear, your vocal power will diminish and you will lose your audience. Because I have a deep passion for educating others, my message to others is quite clear and I tend to strongly engage my audience. 

Strong vocal physique is the ability to produce a vibrantly resonant sound and to have a good command of breathing. Speaking louder does not simply create a powerful voice. It is important to stand up straight, take a deep breath, and enunciate everything it is that you are saying clearly. I have to work on talking more slowly to the students that I am working with, along with picking the proper vocabulary for them to be able to understand what it is I am trying to say to them and have them do.  

• Take care of yourself

I do not like to stop until the work gets done. I naturally invest insane amounts of time doing homework, reading, writing, and reflecting. I do it, because I hate waiting until the last minute to do something and I rather have a peace of mind knowing it is done and out of the way. I have been told on numerous accounts that I need to invest in more time to myself and I need to do a better job at taking care of myself.  I have to remember burnout is not a myth, it is a reality. I have to be aware of this and become protective of me-time. I carve out two nights a week and one whole weekend day for myself and nothing else.