Teaching Persona

My Personal Teaching Persona

The understanding of one self is one of the greatest forms of knowledge a conscious being can acquire. A person is in a better position to understand others and what makes them tick as soon as he has understanding of oneself. As a novice science and technology teacher who is looking forward to enter the profession next year, i have compiled this essay which discusses my persona or beliefs about the profession and how i will try to get my learners to understand content, not only using examples and illustrations but also using my own personality traits to guide and manage the classes. I am a very dynamic active figure who enjoys talking and getting others engaged and that is one thing i intend to bring to all my classes. I believe that learners learn best when first of all they are not bored to death. They have to bare dealing with seven to eight different personalities everyday and have to understand their methods of teaching. Owing to this, I strive to keep my classes as entertaining as possible.

What it means to entertain

I believe that being an entertaining educator does not simply mean turning all the classes into a circus and being known as the funniest educator in the school. However, it greatly entails ensuring that the knowledge that i share with my learners applies in their various contexts and they are able to use it in their daily lives. The learners do not learn for the sake of learning but do so out of an internal desire to improve their environments. That way when they are confronted with a situation that draws from a principle we have discussed in class, instead of being puzzled they can actually say, "oh well we did something similar in sir Zulu's class, let me see if trying what we were taught can work in this situation." I am aware that a quiet class where learners are seating and taking notes is not always a site that effective learning is taking place. Gone are the days when teachers were the citadel of knowledge and learners accepted everything the teacher says as biblical gospel; today's learners are active and inquisitive, often with more knowledge than we reckon they have. As a result of this, i will always try to assess how much my learners already know before starting any topic with them. this works for me, it could work for you too.

Work face Vs Home face

My biggest challenge is separating my personality according to where i find myself. The person i am during break, when i am interacting with my friends and family is the same person i am when i get to class. Indeed this does create some challenges as far as some learners misinterpreting my personality as a call to become their 'friend'. However, I command respect from my learners not by demanding it or telling them what to and what not to do, and which behaviors i accept and those i shun. Instead, i try to master the content i am teaching and get the learners to feel like there is an important thing they can learn from listening to me. Not merely for the purpose of passing the exam, but lessons they can take through life and be prosperous throughout. I want to create a sense of community in my classrooms such that the learners i teach feel responsible for one another in the class, responsible as members of the school, responsible as members of the community in which they live and yes generally responsible citizen that we can depend on in the future.

​Knowledge of self

I am very confident and usually have no problems with first impressions, but i am often weary of personalities which could prove to be a destruction during my classes and i usually resort to sorting them out quickly and promptly. I believe i am entertaining, stimulating, dramatic, enthusiastic, flexible, persuasive, and expressive. At times i may talk too much, gloss over certain points, lose objectivity, and want to be popular by explaining things to the learners which are beyond their scope at that particular point in time and i often have to keep reminding my self not to get carried away but to stick to the main points of discussion. In order to do just that, i rely on my lesson preparation, keeping in mind what i need to do and by when. That brings back my sense of focus and i am able to keep alternative discussions to a minimal.

​

I am still new in the profession, i believe there is still a lot i have to learn, but given my personality type and and my love for knowledge, i couldn't have chosen a better career. How do you feel about teaching?