Becoming an Educator

As this is my last weekly reflection in school placement 4, I would like to dedicate this
reflection to my personal growth journey throughout GMIT Letterfrack linking it to the joys
of teaching and the teacher I have become. I will reflect on all these aspects in great depth.
In secondary school, I was a student who loved the idea of practical subjects. I got
such personal fulfilment in studying these subjects like Construction Studies and DCG. I
always wanted to become a teacher of these practical subjects but as been an introvert
student, this truly affected my belief in doing so. “An introvert is often thought of as a
quiet, reserved, and thoughtful individual. They don’t seek out special attention or social
engagements, as these events can leave introverts feeling exhausted and drained” (Holland
& J.legg, 2018). I was always afraid of standing in front of a group, don’t mind the idea of
trying to speak in front of them. Before I took part on my journey in Letterfrack, this was
holding me back the idea that I could not speak in front of a group and this one of the needs
when you’re a teacher. I truly believed that I would not be able for the profession however, I
fought the exhausting and upsetting battle of overcoming this problem and pursued my
dream of becoming a teacher. I truly believe that this one of my greatest achievements in
life and I truly feel that it has made me become a very strong believer and a more willing
personality.
I am truly delighted that I took this leap in my life and got the chance to start my
teaching career by studying in Letterfrack. Letterfrack has helped me for many reasons. It
has taught and showed me that I can overcome the battle of fighting shyness and has also
given me the opportunity to experience teaching. This experience of teaching has been truly
amazing, and I have gained so many joys from teaching. Teaching is a career that is very
important. As teachers, we have very important roles in the lives of many children and these
roles will help them in the future because it is the responsibility of a teacher to lead children
in the right direction. This is not an easy career; however, teachers face many challenges
and experience many problems during their working lives in their profession. Teachers need
to be incredibly careful.
As I loved the practical subjects when I was in school, I use this to my advantage
when teaching. I feel that this natural love for the subjects brushes off me to my students. I
truly believe that when I become a professional educator this will always stand for me. I
personally feel that this makes the job a lot easier and more joyful to teach. Teachers that
have a huge interest in the subject get to spend everyday teaching it to students and
transferring their passion for the subject to them also “Good teachers care about their
subject with zest and passion, and they enjoy communicating it to others” (Filene, 2005, p.
7) . I believe that this is a huge joy of teaching as your teaching a subject you love. I have a
huge interest in DCG and Construction Studies, so I feel that when I am teaching in the
future, I will love my career as I will be teaching students a subject I loved when I was a
student. Also, teachers have a huge liking to their subject, so they will always be improving
their teaching skills as they have a loving for their profession. I further believe that when
you’re happy doing your job it makes it less stressful as you can enjoy doing what you’re
doing. Throughout the Letterfrack teaching journey, I have witnessed this joy of teaching
grow more and more. In result of this I have noticed how my confidence as being growing in
my life because of this joy and love of my subjects.
As I am now near the end of this wonderful teaching journey, I have had many years
to think about the teacher I inspire to be and I truly believe that I have become this teacher
that I had always wanted to be. I firstly believe that I am a great motivator in the classroom
and will take this into my future teacher career. I will do this by being a very supportive
teacher but motivating them to always do better. “In the context of skilful teaching, the
most important factor is to ensure that pupils are supported and encouraged to learn, with
high positive expectations being conveyed by the teacher” (Kyriacou, 2007). I feel that being
passionate about motivating your students is highly important and it will truly lead to you
becoming a highly skilled and excellent teacher. I also believe that I am a well organised
teacher. I believe that throughout my teaching journey it is evident that I am well prepared
for lesson, my planning is very strong, and this truly benefits me in my teaching. “The fact
that the lesson as a whole has been well planned means that you can normally focus your
attention on the fine-tuning of the lesson, rather than trying to make critical decisions on
the hop (Kyriacou, 2008)”. Being a well prepared and organised teacher is hugely important
as it gives you time in the lesson to look at areas to focus on during the class and to improve
these areas. I truly believe that there are many more areas of my teaching that are very
successful.
To conclude, I know I am not the greatest teacher, but I can truly see how I am on
the way to becoming a great professional educator. I feel that my studies at Letterfrack has
truly aided my confidence and many other aspects in my teaching. I am grateful that I took
the chance to pursue my teaching career back then. I am delighted that GMIT Letterfrack
was the area for the opportunity and I truly believe that it has made me become a great
educator.

References
Filene, P. G. (2005). The Joy Of Teaching: A Practical Guide For New College Instructors . United
States Of America : h. Eugene.

Holland, K., & J.legg, T. (2018, July 31). Are You an Introvert? Here’s How to Tell. Retrieved from
Health Line: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-an-introvert

Kyriacou, C. (2007). Essential Teaching Skills. Cheltenham : Nelson Thornes LTD.

Kyriacou, C. (2008). Essential Teaching Skills. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd.