Throughout

the reading Saphier promotes the idea that teachers can become extremely
proficient by building and focusing on a repertoire of methods and tasks which support six
areas of teaching mastery: management, motivation, instruction, planning, applying craft
knowledge, and connecting concepts and content. I have no doubt that building a strong
foundation on these six areas would improve any teachers classroom and student outcomes.
However, Im left with an overwhelming feeling of ineptitude as I consider my own experience
and repertoire with what is needed to be a highly successful teacher.

Experience seems to be the best way to build an expansive and diverse collection of teaching
methods and techniques from which to draw in a variety of situations. With that in mind, how
can a new teacher be successful? As I look back on my first semester of teaching, I can see that I
had greater success with some students than others. Ive gained some insight, and I have some
new ideas to implement during second semester, but those students with whom I didnt
connect during first semester have lost out on a portion of their education. As the reading
suggests, I didnt have the necessary experience to understand how to reach all my students.

Based on the information from this article, along with knowledge gained throughout my
coursework I have two specific plans that I can implement now to improve my teaching. First, I
need to begin building my repertoire with specific methods or techniques and their outcomes
in various situations. I tend to think in large-scale terms or ideas. However, I need to focus on
the details of situations, so that I can understand why an idea worked well or poorly. Was it a
poorly planned teaching technique or was it simply ineffective with a certain student or group?
To force me to critically evaluate teaching situations and actively build my knowledge base, I
will start a daily teaching journal. In this daily journal, I will force myself to write briefly about at
least two positive teaching situations. I will also write about at least two teaching situations
that need improvement. For those which need improvement, I will also note possible
alternatives to try in the future. These journal entries will focus on the topics listed in the
reading, as well as the Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice for teachers.

Secondly, I must make a conscious effort to be purposely flexible. By that, I mean that I should
not continue with a method or technique which is not working. Yet, I need to be remain
focused on the desired learning outcomes, as I make changes to my method or technique. I
think there is a balance to flexibility. Too much or purposeless flexibility in teaching may be just
as detrimental to student learning than continuing with an ineffective plan, because the
students do not understand whats expected of them from day to day. Yet, a successful teacher
must realize when a lesson isnt connecting with the students and make a change. Being
purposely flexible relies heavily on backward design of lessons, which has been promoted
several times in our coursework and was mentioned in the reading. By having a clear set of
student learning goals for each lesson, changes to instruction are not random, but focused on
making sure all students have a chance to reach those predetermined learning goals. Of course,
being flexible is a natural extension of building a repertoire of methods and techniques. This is a
chance to put into action new or learned ideas, while further building and deepening
experience.