Significant Teaching and Learning Experience.

The most significant teaching experience is one that I have during my contract period at Betio JSS and the latter at Saint Joseph’s College. The experience dated back to 2014 and 2017 respectively, and from these I was able to learn many things that had eternal impacts since then.

One of the most significant experience to recall from the teaching experience was the initiatives I often take to get to know my students. So as a start, I treated my students as if they were my friends, with the hope that they may not fear me. But little did I know that it would lead to a chaos classroom, and that it would take much effort in undoing everything. From this, I learned that as a teacher, I should provide a conducive learning environment and that I can be as friendly but must set boundaries so that students would know their boundaries as well, thus experiencing a better learning environment than before.

Another important teaching experience which is more of a learning experience is one which reminded me to be able to assess students’ learning and to know the impact I have on my students’ learning. This happened when a team from the Australian Catholic University came to our School, to conduct a Certificate in Teaching Program. The team was compromised of three Lectures and a Professor named McLaughlin. In their program, they emphasize the importance of knowing our impact as teachers on our students’ learning, including the so-called Visible Learning by Professor Hattie. Also from their teachings, I managed to learn about Learner-Centered Approaches to teaching. To a greater extent, because the Course consists of a number of Theory Learning and Practicums, I was able to learn new things and to reflect on my previous teaching experiences, thus improving on my mistakes every time I entered and exit a classroom.

Thus, although the experiences have long gone, I am grateful that I am who I am now as a teacher because of these short but long lasting experiences. I will continue growing and develop as a teacher who will never retreat from doing my best for students.