The "Behind The Scene" Role of A Teacher

The “Behind the Scene” Role of a Teacher
The most effective teacher I have ever had in my high school years is Ms. O’Donnell.
While Ms. O’Donnell can be very humorous in her teaching and promote curiosity, it is her
welcoming and sympathetic environment that she inhibits in her class that allows her to be
effective in teaching her class. Whenever I’m in class with her I feel like I’m part of a small
family, separate from my own, due to the unity and open culture she has instilled into our
classroom that encourages us to support one another with things like participation to
collaboration on assignments. Her patience and genuine concern for her students displays to
them that she is truly invested in each of her students’ lives and is focused on guiding them to
success. This environment and culture allows Ms. O’Donnell to effectively teach us certain skills
and concepts while being able to know that her students will not shy away from seeking help
from herself and of their peers.
Beginning the year, the main assumption was that most of the students were introverted
and uncomfortable due to the lack of participation in the class and overall quiet nature of the
students. This created an issue as most of the early class discussions we had were quiet and short
due to the students being unwilling and uncomfortable with participating and sharing their
thoughts with the class. This created a problem for Miss Berdick, my cooperating teacher, but the
solution turned out to be relatively simple. Rather than entering the next day with the same
whole class discussions, she broke them up into small groups of 3-4 people and made them share
questions they had written for homework the night before and after 10-15 minutes she brought
them all back to share their conversations. This proved to be effective because within small
groups the students were willing to communicate with each other and introduce themselves to
one another and begin creating new friendships/relationships which made sharing out loud not so
bad. Fast-forward to today and participation is automatic as many of the students have created
friendships and connections with one another, allowing for a welcoming environment to be
present within the class. She still incorporates group activities along with the class discussions in
order to manage the students and ensure that they keep getting to know one another and get them
more comfortable, allowing that “need” to be monitored and managed. As her intern, the whole
experience was very informational as it showed me a strategy to help combat quietness and lack
of participation within a class, and on a daily basis I try to participate within our class to keep
reinforcing the idea that communication and participation helps build confidence within
everyone and not just the speaker.
My dominant personality color is gold which means that I inhibit qualities such as being
caring, concerned, and dependable, but I also have high scores in the blue category which
describe me to be sympathetic and communicative. These traits are essential in order to help
students who are struggling to comprehend and master certain concepts and skills. Students that
are considered to be “high need” or “failing/struggling” benefit from a teacher who has these
qualities because that teacher will be able to show compassion and patience with them which
shows the student that they care about them and their capabilities. To be patient and concerned
displays to that particular student that you are invested in their education and are willing to work
with them to ensure a higher chance of succeeding. Teachers with gold and blue personalities
allow for a relationship and environment of trust between the students and the teacher, which
ultimately allows for an enhanced learning environment and creates a culture that promotes
communication and welcomes questions.
Within the classroom that I intern for I would like to believe that all the students feel
comfortable and capable of voicing all and any of their thoughts and opinions. On a daily basis
we have class discussions where we analyze and interpret sections of the book we are currently
reading. Within our discussions students are frequently asked to respond to certain questions as
well as voice any comments or concerns they may have from the book. I believe that through this
channel not only are students able to voice their opinions and communicate their thoughts and
analysis to the class, but they are also able to potentially answer the questions for those who
don’t feel comfortable with sharing and hopefully persuade them to participate as well. By
having an open, welcoming, and curiosity-driven environment I believe that the social/emotional
well-being of the students are being cared for and create a sense of security and safety for all that
ensures them that their voice is welcomed and protected. The existence of such an environment
is evident through the consistent participation from many of the students as well as the active
inquiry to learn more about the novel and its symbolism and subliminal messages.

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