"Day-in-the-life": To be or not to be, that is the question"🎀👸👩‍🏫🍎🎒

I liken a teacher to an artist, who struck the right balance between expressive liberation and chains that ensure the "perfect" art piece is produced - rules.

This established balance creates opportunities for experiencing various types of freedoms - intellectual emancipation, trust between the artist and the art, and a deeper understanding of the tools used to create .

There is no doubt that teaching, although the most wholesome profession and job, is the most tedious, considering the facets that is occupies and various challenges presented to teachers. Therefore, standing in the shoes of a giant...

or great artist, rather

has unveiled unseen facets of educating learners to me, to the extent to which I now realize that education and school play a vital role in rehabilitating learners from a state of ignorance and inexperience to a state of intellectual independence and experience.

An artist often produces the best artwork in isolation, but an artist who allows others to colour in the lines of the same artwork, produces an even prettier work of art.

A collaborative effort from staff is vital for the furtherment/ progress of learners, especially from an exit-level grade to a junior-type grade in a new phase. As a teacher in training I have learned that this can be used as an exceptional coping method, in addition to, using brain breaks between lessons, speaking in a calm tone, attending to the specific learning needs of learners and providing learners with the necessary attention they need. In addition, establishing bonds of trust firstly with the learners and then colleagues allows student teachers such as myself to feel safe, appreciated, accepted, strong and embraced - these shoulders to lean on definitely give student teachers such as myself a new wind to sore again. Furthermore, teaching learners that you are human too is essential to establishing a healthy relationship, which further leads to a healthy classroom-based relationship.

Teaching in a classroom of a maximum of 44 learners in a classroom, all with their own specific educational needs, some more severe than others, poses a challenge on its own; classroom management can be an ongoing challenge, thus finding my niche as a teacher-in-training was the core target of my day-in-a-life practice. I had to learn to assert MORE authority, despite my soft nature, calm temperament, and friendly demeanor, my mentor teacher made it her duty to teach me to use ways to regulate ill-behavior in a manner that was settling to me and effective in the classroom - accessing a YouTube brainbreak video is not always quick and easy, thus singing a silly song or rhyme helps too.

Mentally preparing to complete admin and actually doing it has shown me that allocating time to admin is essential, and it has to be included in planning for the day. Therefore, a period of time is allocated to marking the register, checking the books and planning intervention activities throughout the teaching-and-learning day.

Transitioning between lessons and sharing additional information scaffold knowledge occurred seamlessly, I've noticed that the learners needed a confident and bold voice to listen to, this intrigued them to listen to new knowledge and enquiring about other branches of interests.

Creating art is a process worth enduring with patience and passion.

Ona scale of 1-10, I reckon that a good 7 represents the extent to which I am ready to teach (an 8 with the added confidence and learned boldness). Learning to take it one day at a time is key to maintaining a positive outlook on the profession and teaching overall.

...the artist continues painting.