Podcast -- I did it!

Podcast script! 

Hello, my name is Kim Jarvis and I am currently pursing my masters in teaching at Concordia University. I hope to become a second-, third- or fourth-grade teacher.

There are a lot of reasons why I’ve decided to become a teacher. First off, I love being around children – my own and everyone else’s. They have so much energy and curiosity about life that I think they are a joy to be around. I love the things they say and the unfiltered way they look at life.

Secondly, I want to give all kids a chance to succeed. I have had the misfortune of being around some teachers who really didn’t want to be in the classroom any more – they were just miserable and they made their students miserable. I have vowed to NEVER be like that. On the other hand, I have also been around fantastic, enthusiastic teachers and as a result I have seen their students grow in leaps and bounds. That has inspired me to want to be THAT kind of teacher.

When it comes to my teaching philosophy I just want to be a positive, uplifting influence. I want students to enjoy being in my class and develop a thirst for knowledge.

I think one of the most important attributes to have as a teacher is to be flexible. You need to be willing to go with the flow. Be organized and prepared, but don’t stress out too much if you don’t get everything achieved in each lesson that you set out to achieve. I think I am pretty flexible and good at figuring out when to cut my losses or try a different tack.

You also have to be patient. Kids are kids and you have to be patient with them. If you fly off the handle all the time you will just make them and yourself miserable. I think I am pretty patient most of the time, but I know there will be times when I will feel like pulling my hair out.

I also think it is imperative to listen to your students’ parents –they know their children best. If you can have a good line of communication with the parents it will be easier to talk about the good and bad aspects of their child’s class work or any problems that might come up. As a parent, I have been in the situation where the teacher really did not want to speak to the parents, it was painful trying to ask her a question and she seemed cold and aloof. I couldn’t wait for the school year to be over. On the other hand, I have also been in a situation where the teacher was open and friendly and I felt she really had my child’s best interests at heart. As a result, I felt good about sending him to school every day and I volunteered in her classroom as often as she needed. She is exactly the kind of teacher I want to be.

Basically, at the end of the day you need to be honest, sincere and passionate. As a teacher you are a major influence on a young child and I think it’s important to take that responsibility seriously. You need to be passionate about what you are teaching or else they will see right through you – if you don’t value the subject matter then neither will your students. You also need to be honest and sincere with them, their parents and yourself. If something is not working, you need face it head on, not shy away from it.

I hope that I can live up to these attributes as I embark on the teaching journey.