Morgan Beers

Dr. Lucas Niiler

EN 534

25 April 2020

Teaching Reflection

Coming into teaching first-year writing, I was not entirely sure what to expect. As

someone who did well on the English part of the ACT, I wasn’t required to take the early

freshman writing courses. The course I did have to take as a gen-ed requirement was University

Writing, which seemed to focus more on our literacy narratives and writing quantitative research

papers. I did well in the course, but I didn’t feel like this first writing course I took in college left

me with much to take beyond the classroom. So, stepping into the teaching role with only this in

mind I was a little nervous – plus, looking like you could be one of your students never helps

with the anxiety on your first day walking into the classroom. I spent many hours compiling my

syllabus and lesson planning before the first unit to make sure I was doing my students justice,

but, at the time, I found myself more concerned with proving myself as a teacher to my students.

The good ole imposter syndrome was hitting hard – sure I had TA’d in undergrad and been a

Large Lecture GTA so being in front of a class wasn’t new, but this now felt different. For three

days a week for fifteen weeks everything that happened in that classroom would be introduced

and run by me, good or bad. No longer did I have a main professor to lean on if an assignment or

lesson didn’t go so well with the class – it was all on me. I stepped into the classroom the first

day of fall semester unsure of what would happen – would I get through the lesson okay? Would

I forget something? What would my students be like? Would they laugh me out of the room?
 What I quickly learned in the first week of teaching Freshman, however, is that as much

as you worry and think it’s about YOU as a teacher that leads to their success, it’s not. More than

an authoritative, no nonsense teacher a lot of these students need a mentor, guidance, and most of

all friendship. Making the transition from high school to college can be tough for a lot of

different reasons and I learned that what became most important to me was providing an open,

welcoming space where students were encouraged to follow their interests and find joy in writing

in their own way. I wanted them to have one class that they didn’t dread coming to or doing the

work for, knowing that I would be there to support them every step of the way. I still worry

sometimes about whether I’m a good enough teacher or if a lesson is going to go as planned

(they hardly ever do), but I found in my students incredible human beings who I genuinely enjoy

being around and getting to know – and not once did they ask me if I was old enough to be

teaching the course. The mutual respect I have seen in my classroom is something I hope to

continue to foster. Though it wont always be the case, I will always do as much possible to help

my students grow as writers and as people while still preparing them for the rigors of major-level

course work.

Looking back at my first year, there are a lot of things that I would change and do

differently, but at the same time the core values I inherited from my own mentors remained the

same – compassion, kindness, caring, empathy, and understanding. Though I do need to maintain

some authority in the classroom to conduct a course, I much prefer a collaborative method of

learning and try to engage my students as much as possible. I also believe that a workday can be

so helpful and providing in class work time allows for students to inhabit the writing space

without as many outside distractions. If I could go back and do it all again, I would remind

myself that silence isn’t a bad thing, down time doesn’t always have to be filled, and to continue
to meet students where they are in their work as much as possible. I would like to undergo a

more in-depth themed writing course, which I hope to have the chance to do in my PhD program.

I have gotten much better at lesson planning to fill the class time without going over and being

flexible in these lesson plans as well – if discussion is rolling and we don’t get to a final activity

that’s okay! Let the students speak! Let them have some time to interact with their peers and

build community!

I’m not sure how I will grow and change in the future as a teacher, but I am sure that I

will, and that my time as a GTA at Alabama has already begun that growth and change. I will

thoroughly miss my students and peers that I have gotten to know so well through teaching this

last year. I look forward the to endless possibilities and relationships that pursuing a career as a

professor and teaching students in the future bring. Next step, Ohio State.