Progressing in my Developpment as a Teacher

As a teacher I have noticed a difference in how effectively my class flows when my students feel comfortable with their performance. My first and third period classes are composed of upperclassmen that had me as their teacher in the past. Therefore they are familiar with rules, regulations and routines. My second period class is composed of all freshman students who are new to the field. Therefore, it takes careful planning of my lessons and a cautious approach. Unlike many of my freshman classes this particular class is different. Many of my students are in the class because they are looking for an easy A and the others are interested in the field. During a recent lesson we played a word game to prepare for a test. Most of the students were reluctant to participate because of uncertainty however; once the game continued others were more comfortable with participating. Many of my students are respectful and my classroom atmosphere is warm and inviting. In the past I was a little concerned about classroom management of the classes that had all grade levels however, I am experiencing the most joy out of those particular classes because it makes it easy to pair my experienced stylist with my beginner students. This is called buddy work and both students learn strength and weakness from one another. This also allows me as the instructor to become familiar with students strength and weaknesses.