Future Plans and My Teaching Experience

Getting Started

You know what's funny? I never thought I'd end up teaching. It just kind of happened during my second year of college when I started tutoring kids in math to make some extra cash. But here's the thing - that random job totally changed my whole future plan. Let me tell you how it all went down.

My First Teaching Experience

My first day teaching was a total mess, not gonna lie. Picture this: me, super nervous, trying to explain fractions to a frustrated 10-year-old who'd rather be anywhere else. I probably said "um" about a million times, and my hands were shaking while writing on the whiteboard. But somehow, by the end of that session, when the kid finally got it and smiled - man, that feeling was amazing!

Learning the Ropes

Teaching turned out to be way different than I expected. Like, knowing the subject is one thing, but actually explaining it to someone else? Totally different ball game! I learned pretty quick that you've got to be creative. Some kids get it through drawings, others need real-life examples. Last month, I actually used pizza slices to teach fractions - worked like a charm!

The Tough Days

Look, not every day is rainbows and successful lessons. Sometimes students just aren't in the mood to learn, or you explain something five different ways and they still don't get it. Had this one student who would literally put his head down every time I mentioned algebra. Talk about challenging! But those tough days actually taught me the most about being patient and flexible.

What Works and What Doesn't

After a while, I started figuring out my own teaching style. PowerPoint presentations? Boring. Interactive games and real-world problems? Total hit! Made this whole competition system where kids earn points for solving problems - they eat that stuff up. Though I totally bombed when I tried to teach history through rap songs (definitely not my finest moment).

Tech in Teaching

These days, teaching's gotten pretty high-tech. I use all these cool apps and online tools now. The other day, I had my students use Kahoot for a math quiz, and they were actually fighting over who gets to answer first! Though sometimes technology fails you - like when my laptop died right in the middle of an important lesson. Talk about awkward!

Changes I've Seen in Students

It's wild how different each student is. Some kids who started out hating math are now raising their hands to solve problems. This one girl went from failing tests to getting B's, and seeing her confidence grow was seriously the best part of my week. Though I still haven't figured out how to get them excited about homework!

Looking Ahead

So here's where it gets interesting - all this teaching experience completely changed my future plans. I'm now thinking about getting my teaching certificate after graduation. Maybe even start my own tutoring center someday? Who knows! The idea of helping kids actually enjoy learning instead of dreading it seems pretty awesome.

New Teaching Goals

I've got some big ideas for my teaching future. Want to try out this whole project-based learning thing - like having kids plan a party to learn about budgeting, or design a video game to understand physics. Sounds way more fun than just memorizing formulas, right? Plus, I'm thinking about specializing in helping kids with math anxiety.

What I Need to Work On

Real talk - I've still got plenty to learn. Need to get better at handling classroom management (turns out you can't just be the "cool teacher" all the time). And don't even get me started on lesson planning - sometimes I still wing it more than I probably should. But hey, that's part of the journey, right?

The Support System

Gotta give a shout-out to the other teachers who've helped me out. They're always sharing tips and tricks, and sometimes just lending an ear when I need to vent about a rough day. Even the school janitor gives me great advice - he's seen it all in his 20 years there!

Impact on Students

The coolest part? Sometimes students come back to tell me how I helped them. This kid who used to hate reading now runs a book club. Another one just got into college and sent me a thank-you note. Not gonna lie, those moments make all the tough days worth it.

Final Thoughts

Looking back at how this all started - just trying to make some extra money - it's pretty wild how things turn out. Teaching's definitely not the easiest job (hello, grading papers at midnight!), but it's probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Sure beats my old summer job at the mall!

So yeah, that's where I'm at - excited about the future, still learning every day, and totally okay with the fact that my Friday nights often involve planning lessons. Because honestly? Wouldn't have it any other way. Though maybe I should stop buying so many colorful markers... my desk is starting to look like a rainbow exploded on it!