It was nice to get back in the classroom. After summer break was spent learning tons of new stuff, it was nice to get back in front of students and start trying out the new teaching strategies we all diligently worked on.
The part that was positively different for me was just my overall approach and organization. In teaching, I've learned that the course will either run you or you will run the course. NTI helped me inch closer and closer to becoming what I want to be, and that's a 'Master' of my classroom environment.
I know that's a career long pursuit, but there's notable positive steps that have taken place this summer and my organization, overall planning, and execution in the classroom is at another level as I've entered this year. I've still got plenty of room to grow, but with a plan going into each day detailed out to the minute the kids are forced to be engaged and much more efficient in order to keep up. It's much more challenging out in the construction building from a time management standpoint, and as my students get more used to how things work they will most assuredly see the positive benefit of the course's overall organization and new found direction.
Craig I totally agree! Since i don't have a planning period it's hard on me to keep on top sometimes. With NTI training I find all the small things that I thought were big last year seem easy now. My organization skills are way better now. I know that you are probably doing the same things as I am such as trying to teach the material more. Doing lab work is great and I really think labs are super important, but without better book knowledge the students arent't as competent as they should be. If I ask my students now to get me a piece of 1/2" OSB they don't look at me like they are lost now! It's a great feeling. Also I can ask them the width of a 2x8 piece of lumber and they can tell me! Good Stuff huh!!!
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