Teaching is my second career. Initially after graduating from college, I was looking for the best career to make money. I worked for a publisher in Los Angeles for about five years and made money, but found the work unfulfilling. I did some soul-searching and looked at what would make me happy if money wasn't a factor and teaching was the first thing that I thought of. I quit my job, moved back in with my mom (thankfully not for long), and earned my multiple subject teaching credential. I met someone in a class who told me about the court schools, so I started subbing for them. I soon discovered that elementary was not the direction that I wanted to take, but lucky for me, because the court and community schools are self-contained classrooms, I was able to get a job teaching high school. Now, I have decided that I need the single subject credential, so I am pursing the English credential.
The personality test was interesting because I scored highest in ENFP (not sure what that stood for), but the description said I am, "...someone who senses the hidden potential in people. You enjoy starting discussion or activities that challenge and stimulate others into having new insights about themselves, which they can then take and apply to their own personal growth. You are enthusiastic about new projects or causes that offer the potential for a beneficial impact on people, especially when it involves breaking new ground." This seems particularly relevant given my new position as an instructional coach. I want to help teachers be reflective and use that to grow as educators. I also think that it fits in perfectly with the CCSS and the innovation and reflection required for those skills. I think that this personality could be applicable to any content area because ultimately, it's about bringing out the best in our students.
My learning style showed that I was mostly visual, definitely not verbal. I have always tried to make lessons visual, auditory, and kinesthetic to meet the needs of students. I also scored high in sensing which means I am practical, good at memorizing facts, and need to see how it connects to the real world. This is something that I think about a lot as I look at the CCSS especially in math. I never did well in math and I was always the kid who asked, "When are we going to use this?" I couldn't see the practical application of what we were learning. Read world application of skills is an important part of CCSS and transferrable skills should always be a part of lesson construction. I am also reflective and active – in the middle of the two. Sometimes I like group work if it’s a group that I trust and everyone pulls their weight; otherwise, I’d rather work alone. It's important for students to have clearly defined roles and expectations when working in groups so that everyone participates equitably. Lastly, I was both sequential and global. I like linear steps, although sometimes I can suddenly get a concept, but I can’t always explain how I did it. This is a real challenge for students to learn how to explain concepts like math, but with practice, it will become more commonplace and help them with their comprehension and ability to teach others.
I was pleased to see that my teaching style is a facilitator. This is what CCSS requires of us now and since I am also an instructional coach, I want to have that role with other teachers. It's not my job to go and fix teachers, but instead to facilitate their own reflection and learning. The same is true for working with students. No longer is the teacher the expert in all things who conveys that knowledge to the students. Instead, teachers need to facilitate student learning for them to be able to come up with their own conclusions.
