Final reflections

I would love, at this stage of the carreer and after being done with my "student-teaching", to share with you some final reflections that will tell something of my feelings throughout this experience.

As you know, this was my last year at University and as part of it I had to do teaching practices for a subject named "Organización y Crítica pedagógica" -the last pedagogical subject we have in our carreer.

Before I started this student-teaching I did not have many expectations, as is my usual tendency. In fact, I tend to start and go little by little looking at and enjoying each thing I happen to discover. I try not to create big expectations neither to worry too much about new-born challenges. Also, I tend not to listen what others say about their experiences, either good or bad things. Though bad things tend to be spread more easily among people’s mouths. That’s why I do not pay much attention to comments but try to go about discovering and experiencing things by myself. I cannot deny that, in addition, many say that I am very optimistic. Everything I set up to do, I have the feeling that it will come out fine: problems are natural and they will inevitably arrive but, as everything else in this life, they will leave. “No storm has lasted one hundred years”. Therefore, I cannot say if my expectations were fulfilled because I did not have many. However, I’ve discovered many nice things in the process and experienced great satisfactions in terms of personal achievements and students’ progress.

Well I think that the difficulties I encountered were many and they are described in my previous reflections. But the ones my professor said I improved are:

*I acquiered a stronger position in front of the students and that made them have a more respectful attitude towards me than in my first teaching practices.
*I could include the whole group in my classes without focusing to one area of the class.
*I showed great energy and confidence when giving my classes and that contributed to a more favourable participation from all students.

What really called my attention is the degree of enthusiasm and compromise students can show and acquire when they are properly motivated: no matter what social class, age, interests, ways of behaving they have. When the teacher has found the correct way of motivating his or her students, it is incredible how they answer to that and feel completely involved in the tasks proposed. In this respect, Blas Parera students were so willing to learn and participate just because there was some visual aids and a good attitude from the teacher towards their personal and unique learning processes. When students felt they were able to do it, they just did it and felt deeply satisfied with their achievements.

I think that students are attention-seeking creatures, so, if they perceive they could get some from you, you are very likely to have won them in your favour. Therefore, learning to respect students in their particular abilities and ways of learning, knowing to appreciate multiple intelligences and highlighting the positive contributions of each student are some of the necessary points a teacher must acquire if he or she wants to be successful and grow...GROW not only as a professional but also as a human being willing to plant his or her own seed in the silent but constant labour of many for the creation of a better world.