Mconl011

'MConl011 Morgan J. Conley [[

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hello everyone, my name is Morgan Conley and I am 23 years old. I grew up in Norfolk and attended Norfolk Public Schools. For the past five years I have worked full-time as a swimming and water safety instructor and lifeguard. I am working and paying my way through college. I graduated from Tidewater Community College in the spring semester of 2008 with an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts. Currently I am attending Old Dominion University in pursuit of a BFA degree in Drawing & Design with Teacher Licensure. I want to teach art for public school on the middle school and high school level. Eventually I plan to obtain a Masters degree and teach on a college level. This is my first education class. I know I have much to learn, but at the same time I feel that I am walking into my first education class with a strong experience based foundation.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Because I grew up within Norfolk Public Schools, I can say that I had both good and bad experiences in my public school career, as I'm sure we all do. This included interacting with numerous teachers, some of whom I found to be very inspiring and genuine people. I want the chance to help improve my current and future students lives by not only helping them learn effectively, but also by making the learning process enjoyable. I also hope to encourage all students to continue their education after high school, whether it be learning a trade or by going to a college or university. What a lot of older people do not understand about teenagers today is that not everyone enjoys the school environment, and some are much better with hands on experience and training. I think that as long as we prepare our students for a successful life after high school, and help them to create a future path for themselves, we have done our job effectively.

What makes a good teacher? I have several thoughts about what makes a good teacher. This is the type of educator I wish to be. A noble teacher is one that understands that everyone is different and is coming from different circumstances. It is someone who can reach every student to help him or her understand and learn in his or her own specific way. It is a person who motivates students to do well. It is someone who genuinely wants to see his or her students do well and grow in school and in life. It is the responsibility of the teacher to establish mutual respect for and among their students. A successful teacher thoroughly covers their curriculum and assesses students fairly with grades and constructive criticism. A good teacher mixes up lesson plans and instructional strategies so that the class remains interesting and not repetitive. Lectures, individual assignments, student presentations, class critiques, group work, and the use of computers within the classroom can contribute to making a teacher and his/her students successful. These teachers get to know their students and remain in control of their class by implementing an authoritative classroom environment. A good teacher teaches not only their subject matter, but also life lessons such as: our actions have consequences.