Reflective Essay on New Experiences as a Teacher

Reflective Essay on New Experiences as a Teacher
I will start the reflective paper by defining the term reflection. Reflection means taking serious consideration or thought on a subject (Karnieli-Miller, 2020). Therefore, reflective practitioner actively engages in systematic, critical reflection on their practice to enhance the lives of both students and teachers. The reflection can also be an idea of a professional who critically evaluates their work and progressively enhances their theoretical frameworks. According to Donald Schon, a prominent theorist on reflection and author of The Reflective Practitioner, reflection in action helps professionals identify challenges within a workplace and improve their work through practice (Maksimovic & Osmanovic, 2018). The following reflective paper narrates my journey and experiences as a teacher from being a nurse.
My teaching career so far has not been short of challenges. In many nations, teacher attrition has been a significant issue. Recruiting people from other professions like myself to become teachers is one feasible and extensively used countermeasure (Coppe et al., 2021). Although the existing literature suggests that second-career teachers (SCT) have more resources than first-career teachers (FCT), empirical data are still lacking regarding the extent to which SCT can transfer their prior knowledge and skills into teaching, how this affects how they handle professional demands, and whether or not they intend to continue in their new profession (Ruitenburg, & Tigchelaar, 2021). The doubt about whether I will one day go back to nursing has been a challenge. Fellow teaching staff members do not see me as a long-term team member. The school principals and board also shy away from awarding me more permanent roles because they believe I will one day quit and retrieve to nursing.
I have come to realize teaching is a very demanding profession. However, I am not suggesting that nursing was less demanding, but I did not expect this level of intensity in demand. Teaching entails a wide range of job demands that necessitate multiple talents and a high level of adaptability. Student learning and achievement are frequently considered a teacher's primary concern; being a teacher also involves a variety of other, occasionally underappreciated responsibilities like school development, collaboration both inside and outside the classroom, or administrative duties (Živković, 2021). According to the Transactional Stress Theory, these professional obligations and their corresponding demands are potential stressors. I have come to realize teacher stress is a contributing factor to low job well-being and turnover, and attrition.
Every person learns differently, and no two students are alike in this regard. We all have distinct brains, and our experiences impact how we learn in various ways. Psychologists have spent countless hours conducting tests to discover more about how pupils acquire knowledge (Li & Lai, 2022). Understanding various theories of learning has been a crucial component of my teaching career, a skill that is necessary for aspiring and practicing educators to be ready to teach students every day. Teachers can gain knowledge from various proven learning theories as t...